¡Hoy es el Cinco de Mayo!

[Darunia]

Austria wasn't seriously in decline until the 1800s (after the rise of nationalism). No, not 350 years My god, that is...so now true...Austria was, in my opinion, only a major power only for lack of a stronger one. Their power was never THAT supreme; and by the War of the Austrian Succession, it was all but absent. Spanish Succession; Seven Years War...they fielded armies, but played no major role in deciding the victory. By the Napoleonic Wars, they were "the sick old man of Europe"...bumbling and backwards. I'd say that this was in effect for 350 YEARS, as opposed to 200, quoted by you. They may've been a gallant, elogant power, but militarilly they were decrepid.

What about Spain's navy power? They were one of the most powerful nations with a navy...

They had a lot of ships...building a huge fleet was never a problem---but its quantity, not quality. The same is for France; who had a great fleet, but poor training and tactics. Thus, the British navy always, always, always won. The Spanish Armada, The Nile, Aboukir Bay, Trafalgar... all support this. The Spanish Navy hasn't won a major naval battle in....(again my date)...at least 350 years.

The Spanish Armada was a major blow there... but it was still some time until Britain became indesputably the strongest naval power, I'd say.

Perhaps...and the British came into power, what, 300 YEARS AGO!? About 1700 is when they really became prominent, I'd say about 1720, during the Spanish Succession.