Introducing the politically correct naval battle (Brit re-enactment seeks to avoid offending French)

Britain celebrated an epic naval victory Tuesday but a descendant of its hero Admiral Horatio Nelson said the Battle of Trafalgar bicentenary was trying too hard not to offend historical enemies France and Spain.

A highlight of the world's biggest naval review was featuring two fleets enacting a 19th century sea battle.

But they have been called simply the red and the blue fleet rather than by country names, which has sparked a shot across the bows from Nelson's great great great granddaughter.

"I am anti-political correctness. Very much against it. It makes fools of us," said 75-year-old Anna Tribe.

"I think the idea of the blue team fighting the red team is pretty stupid. I am sure the French and Spanish are adult enough to appreciate we did win that battle," she added.

"If you obliterate history for the sake of political correctness, you can't learn from the past. Nelson thought politicians were cowards. I tend to agree," Alex Naylor said.

Nelson sent the famous signal "England expects that every man will do his duty" before the 1805 battle off the western Spanish coast that spelt the beginning of the end for Napoleon Bonaparte's French Empire.

Nelson, already missing an eye and an arm from previous battles, was killed by a French sniper in the epic battle. He was 47.

Organizers of the bicentenary celebrations were anxious to avoid accusations of triumphalism, especially at a time when Anglo-French relations are frosty as London and Paris clash over the future direction of the European Union.

Britain's navy chief Admiral Alan West admitted: "The French had to think quite hard about if they wanted to be involved (in the review). But in the final analysis, this is a celebration of maritime nations."

He rejected criticism of the bicentenary, insisting Nelson would have backed the plans.

"Nelson would have approved of that, to get the maritime back in the public eye," The First Sea Lord said.

Queen Elizabeth reviewed more than 160 warships from 35 navies -- including those of France and Spain who were beaten at Trafalgar -- off Portsmouth on England's south coast.

Aboard the Royal Navy's Antarctic survey vessel Endurance, she sailed up and down the lines of assembled ships in the first naval review since her Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977.

"It is the biggest ever international naval assembly in terms of the number of fleets involved," said a spokeswoman for the Trafalgar 200 organizers.

Can you imagine a reenactment of the massacre at Wounded Knee (or Ft. Pillow for that matter) without referring to the murder of Indians, er, excuse me, Native Americans as Native Americans? A reenactment without victims, without villains? How pathetic a melange of greens (or whatever value neutral color you chose) against blues with a lot of milling around in the dust capped by fireworks after twilight, just as the Brits arranged off Portsmouth yesterday.

Every generation of British, indeed of English speaking people, have recognized Trafalgar to be a moment of signal historical significance. It meant that England would endure, safe behind its channel moat, contriving alliances against the seemingly impervious French Army, waging a worrying flanking war against Napoleon's neopotistic commissars in Spain. England would endure for a decade, safe from invasion, ruling the waves, provisioning itself and its growing list of allies with the fruits of its maritime dominance. Like a giant boa, The Royal Navy would constrict Napoleon's continental system, ultimately turning his conquered vassals against him.

Because Nelson had inspirited the Royal Navy to adopt his patriotism, professionalism and courage, it had become a shining turn of the century example of a meritocracy. Most Americans do not appreciate the debt we as a democracy and land of milk and honey owe to the Royal Navy nor are we aware of the debt the Royal Navy owes to the example of Horatio Viscount, Lord Nelson. In fact, The Senior Service quite consciously modeled itself after the legend of Nelson and it is not an exaggeration to say that the officer of the watch in the frozen gloom of the Arctic winter stood to his duty against all hardship in the War of the Atlantic, conscious that he was following Nelson who, himself, had also served there.

After a decade England would hurl the world against the fanaticism of the French Leftists. Napoleon would now be weakened by the flank attacks of the Bull Dog. He would be bled white of troops and treasure. But mostly, the decade bought by Trafalgar would see the Corsican Tyrant made vulnerable by his own ego, his mad invasion of Russia and the inevitable internal corruption of his post Jacobin tyranny. A decade after Trafalgar, they would break him at Waterloo.

Because of Trafalgar England would endure. Because of Trafalgar America would ascend. Because of Trafalgar, England would answer the call at its Finest Hour because they had done it before and they knew they could do it again.

Every generation of British have recognized the signal historical significance of Trafalgar - except, evidently, the last.

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