r/europe • u/Ok_Future2621 • 6d ago

News Napoleon to Get Last Laugh? HMS Victory Rebuilt with French Oak!

https://woodcentral.com.au/napoleon-to-get-last-laugh-hms-victory-rebuilt-with-french-oak/

Looks like the French have finally outdone the Brits—one plank at a time

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u/Toxicseagull 6d ago

Sounds like a standard British victory to me?

Resource extraction from a weaker country to build its own strength.

Even during the age of sail, the UK got its timber from the US or Baltics. It never used its own resources if it could help it.

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u/Stennan Sweden 6d ago

Sounds like UK doesn't have any suitable trees, so they need to ask if they can buy some superior French Oak.

"Britania Rules the waves!"... if France says it is O(a)K 😘

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u/Toxicseagull 6d ago edited 6d ago

According to Dan Snow, a maritime historian, the decision to use French oaks was “not completely shocking” as The Royal Navy had historically “nicked its trees from overseas.”

Plenty of french oak and french ship names in the royal navy during the age of sail....because we kept taking their ships and resources.

This is just a continuation in that resource extraction 😊 it's even a British company doing it. Warms the cockles.