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Why did Britain fight Denmark at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801?

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Horatio Nelson Lord Nelson, detail of an oil painting by J.F. Rigaud; in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, Eng.

Britain fought Denmark at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801 primarily to break the League of Armed Neutrality, a coalition formed by Russia, Prussia, Sweden, and Denmark.12

Britain viewed this coalition as a hostile act that threatened its naval mastery and economic stability. The League aimed to protect neutral shipping, but it effectively cut off Britain’s access to the Baltic, which was a vital source of timber and other materials essential for shipbuilding. Furthermore, the British feared that the coalition might align with France during the Napoleonic Wars, further endangering British interests.12

By attacking Copenhagen, the British fleet—led by Horatio Nelson as second in command—sought to neutralize this threat, dissolve the anti-British alliance, and secure the flow of essential supplies. The successful engagement forced an armistice, leading to the dissolution of the League and allowing Britain to refocus its military efforts against the French.12