Sir Sidney Smith (Napoleon's Greatest Foe) - My Favorite Person And Why

May 22, 2022

Sir Sidney Smith (Napoleon's Greatest Foe) - My Favorite Person And Why

Personal Background

Sir William Sidney Smith, or simply Sidney Smith, was born on June 21, 1764 in Westminister into a Military and Naval Bloodline that has connection to the pitt family. Sidney Smith studied Tonbridge school until 1772 afterward he join the Royal Navy in 1777 and fought in the American Revoluntionary War. His early life as a sailor was on board the store ship Tortoise serving under the commander Jahleel Brenton for a year before being moved to the ship HMS Unicorn and saw his action in 1778 against the american frigate Raleigh.Sir Sidney was appointed lieutenant in 25 september 1780 for bravery then in 1781 he distinguished himself under Admiral Thomas Graves and was promoted to captain at a young age. During the time of peace smith was traveling in europe then become involved in intelligence and diplomacy.

Later in his life, he was appointed by King Gustav III in 1790 to command a light squadron and advise the Royal Swedish Navy. He beat the Russian fleet at the battle of Svenskund with low casualties and, later on, was knighted by King Gustav III. He also fought in the French Revolutionary War and was captured on April 19, 1796 after an attempt to hijack french ships. He was in prison for 2 years in Paris and was able to escape with the help of a French royalist.

Sir Sidney realised early on that Napoleon was ambitious and warned the British Admiralty that Napoleon Bonaparte was a threat but he was taken lightly. When Napoleon invaded Egypt, he was ordered to assist the Turkish forces and sailed to Egypt to help the Turkish commander, Jezzar Pasha.He earned Jezzar Pasha's respect and succeeded in beating Napoleon in Egypt. He returned to England in 1801, retired, but in 1803, with the resumption of war, he rejoined the navy and beat the combined French and Spanish fleet in 1805.He returned to the Medditeranian for further service to beat Napoleon's forces and was able to succeed. He then returned to London in 1807 and was sent to Portugal to help their allies that is being invaded and to Brazil to attack Spanish colonies. He was then promoted to vice admiral in 1810 and, in 1812, returned to the Medditeranian again to beat the French navy.

On March 18, three days after the return of Napoleon from Elba, the greatest battle happened at Waterloo, thus cementing Napoleon's defeat and the end of the Napoleonic war for good. Mr. Sidney Smith assisted in arranging and collecting the casualties with care.For these and other services, he was awarded the British Knighthood.After the war Sir Sidney Smith got into politics fight for anti-slavery and pirates in the Medditeranian .Sir Wilian Sidney Smith died 26 may 1840 aged 75 and was burried in Paris

Why I Like Him

He showed characteristics of love towards his crew and family, taking care of them in battle or at home; he showed honour and respect to his allies and Napoleon's generals in war; he also showed bravery, humility, and smartness in his lifetime, and that made him my favourite person. He struggled in his career but managed to get through them and become someone who is a legend in the history books, even earning respect from his enemy, Napoleon Bonaparte. His story is not well told or mentioned in history books or documentaries, but his hardman ship contributed to Napoleon's downfall and should be remembered as such because he is Napoleon's greatest foe.

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