John Russell was utterly dismissive of such remarks. What he wanted was not this kind of hollow, reckless rhetoric, and he said casually, "Blind confidence could bury our navy, just as it did the Spaniards back then."
Yet upon hearing this, the Duke of Northumberland, the First Lord of the Admiralty, immediately sat upright. No matter how detached and carefree he usually was, at a moment concerning the honor of the British Royal Navy, he had to straighten his spine.
Even if the Duke of Northumberland were ordered aboard a ship to fight, for the sake of his family, himself, and the Royal Navy's reputation, he would have to carry out the command.
The British Royal Navy was not at its best right now, but once the words "fight whenever we meet the enemy" had been spoken, he could only grit his teeth and go through with it.
In truth, the British Navy was deeply unwilling to accept its defeats at the hands of the Austrian Empire. First, the Austrian Empire's several victories had all relied on sneak attacks, or on its army, or even on aircraft—it had won by thoroughly dishonorable means.
Second, the Austrian Imperial Navy had deployed its entire main force every time, while the Royal Navy had sent only detached squadrons, sometimes not even its main fleet. The Royal Navy had often been forced to fight outnumbered.
Third, every battle had been fought on the Austrian Empire's home ground. The Royal Navy lacked both geographical advantages and the support of shore batteries.
Fourth, there had been intelligence failures. The Royal Navy knew far too little about the Austrian Imperial Navy, repeatedly misjudging the battlefield because of faulty intelligence and falling into Austrian traps.
Fifth, there was the matter of luck. Before encountering the Austrians, the Royal