during the napoleonic wars, the french navy suffered a series of defeats at the hands of the british royal navy, culminating in the destruction of much of their mediterranean fleet at the battle of trafalgar in 1805. unable to compete at sea, the french were increasingly confined to their principal naval bases, especially brest on the biscay coast and toulon in the mediterranean. with british squadrons patrolling the entrances to these ports, the french found it difficult not only to conduct regular overseas trade, but also to supply and reinforce their overseas colonies. as a result, the colonies faced financial collapse and the constant threat of attack by british forces, especially in the caribbean, where by 1809 their island colonies of martinique and guadeloupe were surrounded by british held islands and blockaded by a strong british fleet under vice-admiral sir alexander cochrane.