Ottoman-Venetian Wars 2

The Cretan War 1645-1669

From Wikipedia 2011

Kingdom of Candia (1205-1669)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Venetian sestieri of Crete in the 13th century: 1. Santi Apostoli (Holy Apostles), 2. San Marco (St Mark), 3. Santa Croce (Holy Cross), 4. Castello, 5. San Polo (St Paul), 6. Dorsoduro Capital Religion Government Duke of Candia - 12121216 - 1667 Historical era - Dissolution of Byzantine Empire (Fourth Crusade) - Cession to Venice - Revolt of St. Titus - Ottoman conquest of Cyprus - Ottoman conquest of Crete - Ottoman conquest of remaining Cretan isles Giacomo Tiepolo (first) Girolamo Battagia (last) Middle Ages 1204 1205 August 1363 1368 1571 1669 1715 Candia Roman Catholicism (official) Greek Orthodoxy (popular) Principality

The Kingdom of Candia (Italian: Regno di Candia) or Duchy of Candia (Italian: Ducato di Candia) was the official name of Crete during the island's period as an overseas colony of the Republic of Venice, from the initial Venetian conquest in 12051212 to its fall to the Ottoman Empire during the Cretan War (16451669). The island was at the time and up to the early modern era commonly known as Candia after its capital, Candia or Chandax (modern Heraklion). The island of Crete had formed part of the Byzantine Empire until 1204, when the Fourth Crusade dissolved the empire and divided its territories amongst the crusader leaders (see Frankokratia). Crete was initially allotted to Boniface of Montferrat, but, unable to enforce his control over the island, he soon sold his rights to Venice. Venetian troops first occupied the island in 1205, but it took until 1212 for it to be secured, especially against the opposition of Venice's rival Genoa. Thereafter, the new colony took shape: the island was divided into six provinces (sestieri) named after the divisions of the city of Venice itself, while the capital Candia was directly subjected to the Commune Veneciarum. The islands of Tinos and Cythera, also under Venetian control, came under the kingdom's purview. In the early fourteenth century, this division was replaced by four provinces, almost identical to the four modern prefectures. During the

first two centuries of Venetian rule, revolts by the native Orthodox Greek population against the Roman Catholic Venetians were frequent, often supported by the Empire of Nicaea. Fourteen revolts are counted between 1207 and the last major uprising, the Revolt of St. Titus in the 1360s, which united the Greeks and the Venetian coloni against the financial exactions of the metropolis. Thereafter, and despite occasional revolts and Turkish raids, the island largely prospered, and Venetian rule opened up a window into the ongoing Italian Renaissance. As a consequence, an artistic and literary revival unparalleled elsewhere in the Greek world took place: the Cretan School of painting, which culminated in the works of El Greco, united Italian and Byzantine forms, and a widespread literature using the local idiom emerged, culminating with the early 17th-century romances Erotokritos and Erophile. After the Ottoman conquest of Cyprus in 1571, Crete was Venice's last major overseas possession. The Republic's relative military weakness, coupled with the island's wealth and its strategic location controlling the waterways of the Eastern Mediterranean attracted the attention of the Ottoman Empire. In the long and devastating Cretan War (16451669), the two states fought over the possession of Crete: the Ottomans quickly overran most of the island, but failed to take Candia, which held out, aided by Venetian naval superiority and Ottoman distractions elsewhere, until 1669. Only the three island fortresses of Souda, Gramvousa and Spinalonga remained in Venetian hands. Attempts to recover Candia during the Morean War failed, and these last Venetian outposts were finally taken by the Turks in 1715, during the last OttomanVenetian War. References David Abulafia: Enrico conte di Malta e la sua Vita nel Mediterraneo: 1203-1230, in In Italia, Sicilia e nel Mediterraneo: 1100-1400, 1987.

The Cretan War 16451669

(Fifth OttomanVenetian War)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Date Location Result Territorial changes Belligerents Republic of Venice Knights of Malta States France Maniots Commanders and leaders Silahdar Yusuf Pasha Kara Musa Andrea Corner Niccol Ludovisi Tommaso Gazi Deli Hseyin Pasha Morosini Giovanni Battista Grimani Giacomo da Pasha Voinok Ahmed Pasha Kara Murad Riva Alvise Mocenigo Leonardo Foscolo Lorenzo Marcello Lazzaro Mocenigo Francesco Morosini Pasha Kprl Mehmed Pasha Almerigo d'Este Franois, Duke of Beaufort Kprl Fazl Ahmed Pasha The Cretan War (Greek: ) or War of Candia (Italian: Guerra di Candia), as the Fifth OttomanVenetian War is better known, was a conflict between the Republic of Venice and her allies (chief among them the Knights of Malta, the Papal States and France) against the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary States, fought over the island of Crete, Venice's largest and richest overseas possession. The war lasted from 1645 to 1669 and was fought in Crete and in numerous naval engagements and raids around the Aegean Sea, with Dalmatia providing a secondary theater of operations. Although most of Crete was conquered by the Ottomans in the first few years of the war, the fortress of Candia (modern Heraklion), the capital of Crete, resisted successfully. Its prolonged siege, "Troy's rival" as Lord Byron called it,[1] forced both sides to focus their attention on the supply of their respective forces on the island. For the Venetians in particular, their only hope for victory over the larger Ottoman army in Crete lay in successfully starving it of supplies and reinforcements. Hence the war turned into a series of naval encounters between the two navies and their allies. Venice was aided by various Western European nations, who, exhorted by the Pope and in a revival of crusading spirit, sent men, ships and supplies "to defend Christendom". Throughout the war, Venice maintained overall naval superiority, winning most naval engagements, but the efforts to blockade the Dardanelles were only partially successful, and the Republic never had enough ships to fully cut off the flow of supplies and reinforcements to Crete. The Ottomans were hampered in their efforts by domestic turmoil, as well as by the diversion of their forces north towards Transylvania and the Habsburg Monarchy. The prolonged conflict exhausted the economy of the Republic, which relied on the lucrative trade with the Ottoman Empire. By the 1660s, despite increased aid from other Christian nations, war-weariness had set in. The Ottomans on the other hand, having managed to sustain their forces on Crete and reinvigorated under the capable leadership of the Kprl family, sent a final great expedition in 1666 under the direct supervision of the Grand Vizier. This began the final and bloodiest stage of the Siege of Candia, which lasted for more than two years. It ended with the negotiated surrender of the fortress, sealing the fate of the island and ending the war in an Ottoman victory. In the final peace treaty, Venice retained a few isolated island fortresses off Crete, and made some territorial gains in Dalmatia. The Venetian desire for a revanche would lead, barely 15 years later, to a renewed war, from which Venice would emerge victorious. Crete however was lost to the Serenissima; it would remain under Ottoman control until united with Greece in 1913. Background After the loss of Cyprus to the Ottomans in the fifth OttomanVenetian War (15701573), the island of Crete (the "Kingdom of Candia") was the last major overseas possession of Venice.[2] Its important strategic position made it an obvious target for future Ottoman expansion,[3] while its size and fertile ground, together with the bad state of its fortresses, made it a more tempting prize than Malta.[4] On the Venetian side, the Serenissima, with its weak military and great dependence on uninterrupted trade, was anxious not to provoke the Ottomans. Hence Venice scrupulously observed the terms of its treaty with the Ottomans, securing over sixty years of peaceful relations.[5] By the early 17th century moreover, Venetian power had declined considerably. Its economy, which had once prospered because of its control over the Eastern spice trade, had suffered as a result of the opening of the new Atlantic trade routes, and from the loss of the important German market because of the Thirty Years' War.[2] In addition, the Republic had become embroiled in a series of wars in northern Italy like the Mantuan War and was further weakened by an outbreak of the plague in 16291631.[6] The potential for conflict between the Ottomans and Venice was still present, as evidenced in 1638, when a Venetian fleet attacked and destroyed a fleet of Barbary pirates that had sought protection in the Ottoman port of Valona, bombarding the city in the process.[7] Sultan Murad IV was enraged: he threatened to execute all Venetians in the Empire, and put an embargo on Venetian trade.[8] Eventually, and given that the Ottomans were still engaged in a war with the Persians, the situation was defused with the Republic paying the Ottomans an indemnity of 250,000 sequins.[5][9] A similar episode however in 1644 had an entirely different outcome: on 28 September, the Knights of Malta attacked an Ottoman convoy on its way from Constantinople to Alexandria, aboard which were a number of pilgrims bound for Mecca, including the exiled Kzlar Aa (Chief Black Eunuch) Snbl Aa, the kadi of Cairo and the nurse of the future sultan Mehmed IV. During the fight, Snbl Aa and most of the important pilgrims were slain, while 350 men and 30 women were taken to be sold as slaves.[10] The Knights loaded their loot on a ship, which then docked at a small harbor on the southern coast of Crete for a few days, where it disembarked a number of sailors and slaves.[11] The Ottomans were enraged at the incident, and the Porte accused the Venetians of deliberate Papal Ottoman Empire Barbary States 16451669 Dalmatia, Crete and Aegean Sea Ottoman victory Crete conquered by the Ottoman Empire, Venetian gains in Dalmatia

collusion with the Knights, something the Venetians vehemently denied. With the hawkish party being then dominant in the Ottoman court,[12] the incident was seen as a perfect pretext for war with a weakened Venice.[13] Despite a long period of negotiations, which lasted until well into 1645, and against the objections of the Grand Vizier Sultanzade Mehmed Pasha,[14] war was decided upon. An expedition was quickly assembled with over 50,000 troops and reputedly 416 vessels, under Kapudan Pasha Silahdar Yusuf Pasha, the Sultan's son-in-law. The Ottoman armada sailed from the Dardanelles on 30 April, heading towards the harbor of Navarino in the Peloponnese, where it remained for three weeks.[15] The fleet's target was not announced, but the Ottomans, to allay Venetian fears, implied that it would be Malta.[13] Early operations in Crete The Venetians were indeed fooled by the Ottoman subterfuge and were taken by surprise at the arrival of the Ottoman fleet at Crete on 23 June 1645.[15] Despite the efforts of the recently appointed provveditore generale, Andrea Corner, the Venetian defenses were still in a bad state.[16] The island's fortifications were substantial, but they had been long neglected, and much effort was put into repairing them.[17] Anxious about Ottoman preparations, the Republic reinforced Crete in late 1644 with 2,500 troops and provisions, and began arming its fleet, while assistance was promised in the event of war by the Pope and Tuscany.[18] However, the local Greek population was not well-disposed towards the Venetians, something that would prove to be of critical importance. Not only were the Ottomans thus able to quickly establish control over the countryside, but in later years, when the Ottoman forces in the island were practically cut off from seaborne supplies, only the local produce, provided by the Greek population, sustained them.[12][19] The Ottomans first landed 15 miles west of Canea (Chania), where the local militia fled before them.[15] They then attacked the small island fortress of St. Todero, the commander of which, the Istrian Blasio Zulian, blew himself, the fortress and its garrison up rather than let it fall to the Ottomans. The Ottoman army next advanced to the city of Canea itself, which fell on 22 August, after a siege that lasted for 56 days.[20] At the same time, however, the Venetians were strengthened, as the promised help started to arrive in the form of galleys from the Papal States, Tuscany, Malta and Naples. In September, the Ottoman fleet was in disarray, but the allied Christian fleet, under the cautious command of Niccol Ludovisi, the Pope's nephew, failed to exploit the opportunity for a decisive strike.[21] When the Christian forces finally moved to retake Canea on 1 October, with a fleet of about 90 ships, the stout Turkish defense and the Allies' lack of cooperation doomed the attack. Soon thereafter, the Venetian allies returned to their bases.[21] In November, Silahdar Yusuf Pasha left behind a strong garrison and returned to Constantinople for the winter. There however, he fell foul of the Sultan and was executed.[22] Nevertheless, Ottoman preparations continued in order to renew and expand the war, while the Venetians were frantically trying to raise money and men, and attempting to induce other European powers to join them against the Ottomans. However, as most of Europe was locked into the fierce antagonisms of the Thirty Years' War, their pleas fell mostly on deaf ears.[23] The Venetians were hard pressed by the financial demands of the war: besides placing taxes on the Italian mainland possessions (the Terraferma), they resorted to the sale of nobility titles and state offices to fill their war coffer.[24] To lead the effort against the Ottomans, the Senate initially appointed the 80 year-old doge Francesco Erizzo, but after his death in early 1646, he was replaced by Giovanni Cappello (73 years old) as Captain General of the Sea.[25] Cappello's performance in 1646 was distinctly lackluster: he failed to interdict the arrival of Ottoman reinforcements under Kara Musa Pasha in June (see below),[26] and an attack on the Turkish fleet at Chania Bay in August failed, as did his attempt to break the Ottoman blockade of Rettimo (Rethymno). As a result, the city fell on 20 October, while the citadel held out until 13 November.[27] During the winter of 1646-1647, both sides suffered from an outbreak of plague, and throughout the spring of 1647, operations did not make much headway. In mid-June however, a small Ottoman force routed a larger body of Venetian mercenaries. This Ottoman success paved the way for Gazi Hseyin Pasha, the local commander, to conquer the eastern half of the island, except for the fortress of Siteia.[28] The Venetians and the local population suffered some grievous losses: it is estimated that by 1648, almost 40% of the Cretan population had perished of disease or warfare,[29] and in 1677, the island's prewar population of ca. 260,000 had dropped to about 80,000.[30] By the beginning of 1648, all of Crete, except Candia and a few strongholds like the island of Gramvousa, was in Ottoman hands.[22] Siege of Candia begins For more details on this topic, see Siege of Candia. The siege began in May 1648. The Turks spent three months investing the city, which included cutting off the water supply. Eventually, it would last until 1669, the second longest siege in history after the siege of Ceuta by the Moors under Moulay Ismail (16941727).[31] The Ottoman besiegers were adversely affected by the bad supply situation caused by the activity of the Christian fleets in the Aegean, who intercepted Ottoman convoys carrying supplies and reinforcements to the island.[32] In addition, the overall Ottoman war effort was severely hampered by increased domestic instability caused by Sultan Ibrahim's erratic policies and his summary execution of leading state officials. It ultimately led to his deposition in favor of his son Mehmed IV, ushering in a further period of confusion within the Ottoman government.[33] The lack of supplies had forced the Ottoman commander Gazi Hseyin Pasha to lift the siege in early 1649, but it was renewed for a short period of two months after the arrival of the Ottoman fleet in June.[34] The Ottomans assailed the fortifications, exploding over 70 mines, but the defenders held firm. The Turks lost over 1,000 men, and the subsequent withdrawal of 1,500 Janissaries and the lack of any further reinforcements over the course of 1650 left Hseyin Pasha with little option but to continue maintaining as tight a blockade as possible.[34] The Ottomans strengthened their positions with the construction of three forts in the Canea area, and the arrival of reinforcements in late 1650 allowed them to keep up their tight blockade.[35] Despite the Venetian blockade of the Dardanelles and the political turmoil at the Ottoman court, the Ottoman forces were kept well supplied enough to sustain themselves, although too weak to engage in offensive actions against Candia itself. In 1653, the Ottomans took the island fortress of Selino in Suda Bay, and San Todero, captured a few years previously, was refortified.[36] The Venetian naval successes over the next few years further reduced the offensive ability of the Ottoman army in Crete, but the blockade of Candia continued, and the Ottomans retained possession of their other conquests on the island, until the arrival of a new Ottoman expeditionary force in 1666. Naval war For a complete list of naval engagements, see Naval battles of the Cretan War Early clashes, 16451654 Venice could not directly confront the large Ottoman expeditionary force on Crete, but it did possess a fine navy, that could intervene and cut the Ottoman supply routes.[37] In 1645, the Venetians and their allies possessed a fleet of 6070 galleys, 4 galleasses and about 36 galleons.[38] The Venetians were also superior in their use of a mixed fleet of both galleys and sailing ships, while initially, the Ottoman navy relied almost exclusively on galleys.[39] In order to bolster their forces, both opponents hired armed merchantmen from the Netherlands, and later from England (especially the Ottomans), to augment their forces.[40] The first Venetian operation was an attempt to blockade the Dardanelles in 1646. To interdict the supplies headed to the Ottoman forces in Crete, a force of 23 Venetian ships under Tommaso Morosini scoured the Aegean for Ottoman shipping, and attempted to capture the strategically

important island of Tenedos at the entrance of the Dardanelles. The Kapudan Pasha Kara Musa led a fleet of 80 warships against the Venetians, but his fleet was driven back into the Dardanelles on 26 May.[41] However, the blockading fleet was unable to stop the next exit of the Ottoman fleet on 4 June, when the lack of wind enabled the Ottoman galleys to evade the Venetian sailing ships. The Ottomans were thus able to land new troops and supplies on Crete unopposed.[42] The efforts of the Venetian fleet to counter the Ottoman land operations in Crete likewise failed, through a combination of timidity on behalf of their commanders, the delays in payment for the crews, and the effects of a widespread plague.[43] On 27 January 1647, the Venetians lost Tommaso Morosini, when his ship was forced to face the entire Ottoman fleet of 45 galleys. In the ensuing fight, Morosini was killed, but managed to cause significant casualties to the Ottomans, including Kara Musa Pasha himself. The ship itself was rescued by the timely arrival of the Venetian fleet under the new Captain General, Giovanni Battista Grimani. This stand-off, where a single ship had caused such damage and casualties to the entire Ottoman fleet, was a major blow to Ottoman morale.[44] Despite some successes like a raid in eme, the remainder of the year was a failure for the Venetians, as several attempts to blockade Turkish harbors failed to stem the flow of supplies and reinforcements to Crete.[45] The Venetians returned to the Dardanelles in 1648. Despite losing many ships and admiral Grimani himself in a storm in mid-March,[46] reinforcements under Giacomo da Riva brought the Venetian fleet back up to strength (some 65 vessels), and allowed them to successfully blockade the Straits for a whole year.[32] The Ottomans countered this in part by building a new fleet at eme, forcing the Venetians to divide their forces,[32] and in 1649, a strengthened Ottoman fleet under Kapudan Pasha Voinok Ahmed broke the blockade.[22] Despite scoring a victory over the Ottoman fleet in its anchorage at Phocaea on 12 May 1649, capturing or destroying several ships, da Riva was not able to prevent the Ottoman armada from eventually reaching Crete.[47] This highlighted the weakness of the Venetian position: maintaining long blockades with galleys was an inherently difficult task, and the Republic did not have enough ships to control both the Dardanelles and the passage of Chios at the same time.[37] For most of 1650, a Venetian fleet of 41 vessels maintained the blockade of the Dardanelles, prohibiting Haideragazade Mehmed Pasha from sailing for Crete. He was replaced late in the year by Hozamzade Ali Pasha, governor of Rhodes, who used a clever ploy to get through the blockade: waiting until winter, when the Venetians withdrew their forces, he assembled a small number of ships and embarked several thousand troops with many provisions on them, and sailed unmolested to Crete.[35] On 10 July 1651, the first significant naval battle of the war was fought south of Naxos, a three-day engagement in which the Venetians with 58 ships under Alvise Mocenigo were victorious over the twice as large Ottoman fleet.[48] The remainders of the Ottoman fleet withdrew to Rhodes, from where they were however able to reach Candia. Mocenigo was replaced soon after by Leonardo Foscolo, but both sides did not accomplish much in the next two years, although the Ottomans did succeed in supplying their forces on Crete while keeping their fleet intact.[49] Battles of the Dardanelles, 16541657 For 1654, the Ottomans marshaled their strength: the Arsenal (Tersane-i Amire) in the Golden Horn produced new warships, and squadrons from Tripolitania and Tunis arrived to strengthen the Ottoman fleet.[50] The strengthened Ottoman fleet that sailed forth from the Dardanelles in early May numbered 79 ships (40 sailing ships, 33 galleys and 6 galleasses), and further 22 galleys from around the Aegean and 14 ships from Barbary stood by to reinforce it off the Straits.[51] This force considerably outnumbered the 26 ships of the Venetian blockade fleet under Giuseppe Dolfin.[52] Although the battle that followed resulted in an Ottoman victory, for the Venetians, given the successful escape of their fleet from the superior Ottoman force, coupled with reports of large Ottomans casualties and the great bravery displayed by the Venetian crews, it counted as a moral victory.[53] The Ottoman fleet, now reinforced by the Aegean and Barbary squadrons, plundered the Venetian island of Tinos, but retreated after only a brief skirmish with the Venetians under Alvise Mocenigo on 21 June. Kara Murad Pasha succeeded in evading the Venetians for the remainder of the year, with both fleets sailing back and forth in the Aegean, before returning to the Dardanelles in September due to agitation among the fleet's Janissaries.[54] The final months of 1654 were marked by a significant change in the Venetian leadership: Mocenigo died at Candia, and was succeeded as acting Captain General of the Sea by Francesco Morosini, who had distinguished himself in the previous battles.[55] Morosini initiated a more energetic approach in the Venetian pursuit of the war: in the spring of 1655, he raided the Ottoman supply depot at Aigina and razed the port town of Volos in a night attack on 23 March. In early June, Morosini sailed to the Dardanelles, awaiting the sally of the Ottoman fleet, which was however delayed because of political upheaval in the Ottoman government.[55] Leaving Lazzaro Mocenigo with half the fleet (36 ships) to keep watch at the Straits, Morosini returned to the Cyclades.[56] A week after his departure however, on 21 June, the Ottoman fleet, numbering 143 ships under Mustapha Pasha, appeared.[57] The resulting battle was a clear Venetian victory. The Ottoman fleet avoided action for the remainder of the year, before it withdrew to winter quarters, leaving Morosini free to undertake an ultimately unsuccessful siege of the strategically important island fortress of Malvasia (Monemvasia) off the southeastern coast of the Peloponnese.[58] In September, Morosini was posted as the new provveditore of Crete, with Lorenzo Marcello as the new Captain General of the Sea.[59] Although in the previous years the Venetians had generally held the upper hand against the Ottomans, largely controlling the Aegean and able to extract tribute and recruits from its islands,[60] they had been unable to transform this superiority into concrete results. Despite their defeats, the Ottomans were still free to roam the Aegean and resupply their forces in Crete,[61] in particular through the use of supply fleets from places like Alexandria, Rhodes, Chios or Monemvasia in the Peloponnese.[62] In June 1656 however, a combined VenetianMaltese fleet of 67 ships under Marcello inflicted on the Ottomans, with 108 ships under Kenan Pasha, their "worst naval defeat since Lepanto":[59][63] Sixty Ottoman ships were destroyed and 24 captured and 5,000 Christian galley slaves set free, although the Venetians and Maltese suffered some casualties too, including the loss of Captain General Marcello.[64] Although in the aftermath of this victory the Maltese contingent departed, the scale of their success enabled the Venetians under Barbado Doer to seize Tenedos on 8 July and Lemnos on 20 August.[65] Using the two islands, strategically located near the entrance of the Straits, as forward bases, the Venetian blockade became much more effective. As a result, the resupply of Crete was effectively cut off, and Constantinople itself suffered a shortage of food during the following winter.[66] In 1657, the Ottomans reversed the situation. A new and energetic Grand Vizier, Kprl Mehmed Pasha, armed with almost dictatorial authority, had been appointed in September 1656, and reinvigorated the Ottoman war effort.[67][68] The fleet was strengthened under the new Kapudan Pasha, Topal Mehmed,[67] and in March, the Ottomans succeeded in evading the Venetian blockade of the Straits and sailed towards Tenedos. They did not attack the island however, because the Venetian garrison was too strong.[69] In May, the Venetians under Lazzaro Mocenigo achieved some minor victories, on 3 May and two weeks later at Suazich. Reinforced by Papal and Maltese ships, Mocenigo sailed to the Dardanelles, awaiting the renewed sally of the Ottoman fleet, which came on 17 July. Due to disagreements among the Christian commanders, the allied battle line had not been completely formed, and the Ottoman fleet was able to exit the Narrows before battle was joined.[70] The battle consisted of a

series of actions over three days, with both fleets drifting south and west out of the Dardanelles into the Aegean. The battle ended in the evening of 19 July, when an explosion destroyed the Venetian flagship and killed Mocenigo, forcing the allied fleet to withdraw. In this battle, the Venetians had inflicted heavier casualties on the Ottomans than they had suffered, but the Ottomans had achieved their goal: the blockade was broken.[71] Under the personal direction of the Grand Vizier and strengthened by men and ships from the Barbary states,[72] the Ottoman fleet proceeded to recover Lemnos, on 31 August, and Tenedos, on 12 November, thus removing any hope the Venetians may have had of re-establishing the blockade as firmly as before.[73][74] Stalemate, 16581666 In 1658, Ottoman power was redirected north in a campaign against George II Rkczi, Prince of Transylvania, which evolved into a long conflict with the Habsburgs.[74] For the next few years, the Venetian fleet, again under the command of Morosini, unsuccessfully attempted to maintain the blockade of the Straits of the Dardanelles. Morosini also resumed his tactic of attacking Ottoman strongholds: a siege of the island of Santa Maura (Lefkada) in August 1658 failed, but in 1659, the Venetians, aided by the Maniots, sacked Kalamata in the Peloponnese, followed by Torone in the Chalcidice, Karystos in Euboea, and eme. However, since Venice could not spare forces to occupy these places, these raids gained the Republic nothing of substance.[73] On the Ottoman side, Kprl Mehmed ordered the construction of two new forts, Sedd el Bahr ("Rampart of the Sea") and Kilid Bahr ("Key of the Sea"), at the European shore of the entrance of the Dardanelles, to prohibit the Venetians from entering the Straits again.[75] In the meantime, war-weariness had set in among the Venetians, who suffered from the disruption in trade. Peace feelers were sent to the Ottomans, but their demand for the full concession of Crete as a condition for peace was unacceptable to the Republic.[74][76] With the end of the war between France and Spain however, the Venetians became encouraged, hoping to receive increased assistance in money and men, especially from the French, whose traditionally good relations with the Porte had soured of late.[73] This support did indeed soon develop, when individuals or whole companies of men from across Western Europe volunteered for the Republic's army, while Christian rulers also felt obliged to provide men, supplies and ships.[62][77] The first French contingent of 4,200 men under Prince Almerigo d'Este arrived in April 1660, along with further contingents of German mercenaries, troops from Savoy, and Maltese, Tuscan and French ships.[68] Despite this increase in strength, Morosini's operations in 1660 were a failure: an assault on Canea in August succeeded in taking the outlying fortifications but failed to retake the city itself; similarly, an attack against the Ottoman siege lines at Candia in September achieved some success, but did not break the Ottoman siege.[68] Following the death of Prince d'Este at Naxos shortly after, the French contingent returned home, followed soon after by a disheartened Morosini, who was succeeded by his kinsman Giorgio.[78] In 1661, Giorgio Morosini scored a few minor successes: he broke an Ottoman blockade of Tinos, and, pursuing the Ottoman fleet, defeated it off Milos. The next few years however were relatively idle. Although the Ottomans were heavily engaged with the Austrians in Hungary, and that their fleet rarely sallied forth, the Venetians failed to make use of this opportunity, and, except for the intercept of a supply convoy from Alexandria off Kos in 1662, there was little action.[79] Final phase of the war, 16661669 If the Venetians were idle, the Ottomans were not: with the signing of the Peace of Vasvr in 1664, they were able to focus their strength against Crete. Grand Vizier Kprl Fazl Ahmed initiated large preparations in the winter of 1665/66, and dispatched 9,000 men to bolster the Ottoman forces in Crete.[80] An Ottoman peace proposal, which would have allowed Venice to keep Candia against an annual payment of tribute was rejected,[81] and in May 1666, the Ottoman army, under the personal leadership of the Grand Vizier, departed from Thrace for southern Greece, whence it would embark for Crete during the winter. In February 1667, the Venetians received significant reinforcements from France and Savoy, totaling 21 warships and some 6,000 men, but, as in past years, disagreements among the leaders of the various contingents over precedence (France, the Papal States, Malta, Naples, Sicily contributed ships and men) hampered operations.[82] Francesco Morosini, now again Captain General, sought to engage the Ottomans, but they avoided battle, and using their superior resources and bases, they steadily kept their forces on Crete supplied. The only allied success in 1667 was the repulsion of an Ottoman raid on Cerigo (Kythera).[83] On 8 March 1668, the Venetians were victorious in a hard-fought night battle off the island of St Pelagia, where 2,000 Ottoman troops and 12 galleys attempted to seize a small Venetian galley squadron. Forewarned of their intentions Morosini reinforced it, and won a costly victory, which was to be Venice's last victory at sea in this war.[84] Reinforced again with Papal and Hospitaller ships, the Venetians maintained a blockade of Canea, the Ottomans' main supply base, during summer. To secure their anchorage off St Todero island, the allied forces seized the fortress island of St Marina,[85] a minor success which did not in the end prevent the Kapudan pasha's fleet, bearing fresh troops and supplies, from reaching Canea in September, after the MaltesePapal squadron had departed.[86] Fall of Candia The new Ottoman army arrived on the island during the winter of 1666/1667, and in May, the final phase of the siege, overseen by the Grand Vizier himself, began. It would last for 28 months and cost the lives of 70,000 Turks, 38,000 Cretans and slaves who labored in the siege works and 29,088 of the city's Christian defenders.[38] Faced with the renewed Ottoman assault and a struggling economy, despite the prospect of considerable reinforcements from Western Europe, in 1668 the Signoria hoped to end the war by striking a peace settlement with the Ottomans.[87] Indeed, the Venetians hoped to use the imminent arrival of reinforcements to secure concessions from the Ottomans.[88] Admiral Andrea Valier was at first appointed as envoy, but fell ill and was quickly replaced by the elderly nobleman Alvise da Molin.[89] Molin and his embassy traveled to Larissa, where the Ottoman court resided during one of the Sultan's hunting expeditions.[90] The Ottomans proposed that Venice keep one half of Crete, but the Signoria, emboldened by further pledges of reinforcements, especially from France, and renewed turmoil at the Ottoman court and within the Empire, refused the offer.[91] Molin, in the meantime transported by the Ottomans to Canea in Crete, was ordered to continue negotiations and to continue observing the Ottomans' strength and intentions, but not commit himself or the Republic.[92] On 19 June, the first part of the long-awaited French contingent (in total some 6,000 soldiers and 31 ships), under the command of Franois, Duke of Beaufort, arrived at Candia. The second part, comprising the galley fleet, would arrive on 3 July.[93] The Ottomans had been making steady progress over the past years, having reached the outer bastions of the fortress; the defenders were in dire straits, while most of the city of Candia lay ruined.[94] The French staged their first sally on 25 June. Caught by surprise, the Ottomans were quickly routed, but the French became disorganized among the siege trenches, and an Ottoman counter-attack drove them back. The attack thus ended in disaster, costing the French some 800 dead, including the Duke of Beaufort himself, who was hit by a bullet and left on the field.[95] The arrival of the second half of the French expeditionary force revived the defenders' morale, and a combined attack was agreed upon, involving bombardment of the Ottoman siege lines by the powerful allied fleet. The attack was launched on 25 July, in an impressive display of firepower: up to 15,000 cannon balls were said to have been fired by the fleet alone.[96] The Ottomans however were well-protected by their deep earthworks, and suffered

comparatively little damage, while things went awry for the Christian fleet, as an accident caused the explosion of the French ship Thrse, which in turn caused significant casualties among the surrounding French and Venetian ships.[96] This failure, coupled with the disaster of the previous month, further soured the relations between the French and the Venetians. Cooperation was distinctly lacking in the few operations attempted during the next few weeks, while the bad supply situation, the spread of sickness among their troops and the continuous attrition of their forces in the everyday fighting at Candia made the French commanders especially keen to depart.[97] The French contingent eventually departed on 20 August. Two Ottoman assaults on the 25th were repulsed, but to Morosini, it was clear that the city could no longer be held.[98] After a council of war on 27 August, but without first consulting Venice, it was decided to capitulate. On 5 September 1669, the city was surrendered to the Ottomans, while the survivors of the garrison, the citizens and their treasures were evacuated.[99][100] On his own initiative, Morosini concluded a permanent peace agreement with the Ottomans, which, under the circumstances, was relatively generous: Venice would retain the Aegean islands of Tinos and Kythera and the isolated island fortresses of Spinalonga, Gramvousa and Souda off the Cretan coast, as well as the gains made in Dalmatia.[60][99] War in Dalmatia The Dalmatian front was a separate theater of operations, which was involved in the early phase of the war. The conditions there were almost reverse to those in Crete: for the Ottomans, it was too far away and relatively insignificant, while the Venetians operated near their own bases of supply and had undisputed control of the sea, being thus able to easily reinforce their coastal strongholds.[101] In addition, and again unlike Crete, the Venetians enjoyed the support of much of the local population, particularly the Morlacchi.[60] The Ottomans launched a large-scale attack in 1646, and made some significant gains, including the capture of the islands of Krk, Pag and Cres,[102] and most importantly, the supposedly impregnable fortress of Novigrad, which surrendered on 4 July, after only two days of bombardment.[103] The Turks were now able to threaten the two main Venetian strongholds in Dalmatia, Zadar and Split.[104] In the next year however, the tide turned, as the Venetian commander Leonardo Foscolo seized several forts, retook Novigrad, temporarily captured the fortress of Knin and took Klis,[22][29] while a month-long siege of the fortress of ibenik by the Ottomans in August and September failed.[46] During the next few years, military operations stalled because of an outbreak of famine and plague amongst the Venetians at Zadar, while both sides focused their resources in the Aegean area.[105] As other fronts took priority for the Ottomans, no further operations occurred in the Dalmatian theater.[75] Peace in 1669 found the Republic of Venice with significant gains in Dalmatia, its territory tripled, and its control of the Adriatic thus secured.[60] Aftermath The surrender of Candia ended the four and a half centuries of Venetian rule in Crete, and brought the Ottoman Empire to its temporary territorial zenith.[106] At the same time however, the cost and casualties incurred during this prolonged war contributed greatly to the decline of the Ottoman state during the latter 17th century.[40] On the other hand, Venice had lost its greatest and most prosperous colony, its pre-eminent trading position in the Mediterranean had diminished,[107] and its treasury was exhausted, having spent some 4,253,000 ducats on the defense of Candia alone.[30] To all this, the Dalmatian gains were insufficient compensation. Upon his return to Venice in 1670, Morosini was tried on charges of insubordination and treason, but was acquitted. Fifteen years later, he would lead the Venetian forces in the Morean War, where the Republic attempted, for the last time, to reverse its losses and reestablish itself as one of the major powers of the Eastern Mediterranean.[38][108] During that war, in 1692, a Venetian fleet attempted to retake Candia, but failed. The last Venetian strongholds off Crete fell in the last Turkish Venetian War in 1715.[30] Crete would remain under Ottoman control until 1897, when it became an autonomous state. The island continued under Ottoman suzerainty until the Balkan Wars. In their aftermath, on 1 December 1913 it was formally united to Greece. References 1. ^ Lord Byron, Childe Harold, Canto IV.14 2. ^ a b Faroqhi (2006), p. 51 3. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 107108 4. ^ Greene (2000), p. 17 5. ^ a b Finkel (2006), p. 222 6. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 104106 7. ^ Lane (1973), p. 408 8. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 108109 9. ^ Parry & Cook (1976), p. 152 10. ^ Setton (1991), p. 111 11. ^ Finkel (2006), p. 225 12. ^ a b Finkel (2006), p. 226 13. ^ a b Finlay (1856), p. 128 14. ^ Setton (1991), p. 124 15. ^ a b c Setton (1991), p. 126 16. ^ Setton (1991), p. 120 17. ^ Setton (1991), p. 107 18. ^ Setton (1991), p. 121 19. ^ Finlay (1856), p. 130 20. ^ Setton (1991), p. 127 21. ^ a b Setton (1991), pp. 128129 22. ^ a b c d Finkel (2006), p. 227 23. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 131132 24. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 131,137138 25. ^ Setton (1991), p. 129 26. ^ Setton (1991), p. 140 27. ^ Setton (1991), p. 141 28. ^ Setton (1991), p. 147 29. ^ a b Setton (1991), p. 148

30. ^ a b c Miller, p. 196 31. ^ The Siege of Candia is often cited as "the longest siege on record", e.g. by the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica. Nevertheless, the blockade and siege of Ceuta, variously given as lasting until 1720 or until Moulay's death in 1727, was longer. 32. ^ a b c Setton (1991), p. 150 33. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 151153 34. ^ a b Setton (1991), p. 158 35. ^ a b Setton (1991), p. 159 36. ^ Setton (1991), p. 167 37. ^ a b Turnbull, p. 85 38. ^ a b c The War for Candia, VENIVA consortium, 1996, http://www.msc.gr/veniva/uk/main/p2.htm, retrieved 27 November 2008 39. ^ Cooper (1979), p. 231 40. ^ a b Holt, Lambton & Lewis (1978), p. 631 41. ^ Setton (1991), p. 139 42. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 139140 43. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 140141 44. ^ Setton (1991), p. 146 45. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 147148 46. ^ a b Setton (1991), p. 149 47. ^ Setton (1991), p. 155 48. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 163164 49. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 164169 50. ^ Setton (1991), p. 170 51. ^ Setton (1991), p. 172 52. ^ Setton (1991), p. 173 53. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 174177 54. ^ Setton (1991), p. 178 55. ^ a b Setton (1991), p. 179 56. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 179180 57. ^ Setton (1991), p. 180 58. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 181182 59. ^ a b Setton (1991), p. 182 60. ^ a b c d Lane (1973), p. 409 61. ^ Finkel (2006), p. 247 62. ^ a b Lane (1973), p. 410 63. ^ Finkel (2006), p. 248 64. ^ Setton (1991), p. 183 65. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 183184 66. ^ Finkel (2006), pp. 251252 67. ^ a b Shaw (1976), p. 209 68. ^ a b c Setton (1991), p. 190 69. ^ Setton (1991), p. 185 70. ^ Setton (1991), p. 186 71. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 186188 72. ^ Shaw (1976), p. 210 73. ^ a b c Setton (1991), p. 189 74. ^ a b c Finkel (2006), p. 256 75. ^ a b Duffy (1979), pp. 196197 76. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 188189 77. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 214216 78. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 190191 79. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 192193 80. ^ Setton (1991), p. 193 ^ Finkel (2006), p. 270 81. 82. ^ Setton (1991), p. 194 83. ^ Setton (1991), p. 195 84. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 196197 85. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 199200 86. ^ Setton (1991), p. 205 87. ^ Setton (1991), p. 206 88. ^ Setton (1991), p. 214 89. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 206209 90. ^ Setton (1991), p. 212 91. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 216218 92. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 217219 93. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 223224 94. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 224225 95. ^ Setton (1991), p. 225

96. ^ a b Setton (1991), p. 226 97. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 226227 98. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 227228 99. ^ a b Finkel (2006), p. 271 100. ^ Finlay (1856), p. 132 101. ^ Nicolle (1989), p. 40 102. ^ Setton (1991), p. 143 103. ^ Setton (1991), p. 142 104. ^ Setton (1991), p. 144 105. ^ Setton (1991), p. 162 106. ^ Faroqhi (2006), p. 22 107. ^ Cooper (1979), p. 232 108. ^ Faroqhi (2006), pp. 58, 115 Sources Cooper, J. P. (1979), The New Cambridge Modern History, Volume IV: The Decline of Spain and the Thirty Years War, 160948/59, CUP Archive, ISBN 0521297134 Duffy, Christopher (1979), Siege Warfare, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-710088710 Faroqhi, Suraiya (2006), The Ottoman Empire and the World Around It, I.B.Tauris, ISBN 9781845111229 Finkel, Caroline (2006), Osman's Dream: The Story of the Ottoman Empire 13001923, London: John Murray, ISBN 978-0-7195-6112-2 Finlay, George (1856), The History of Greece under Othoman and Venetian Domination, London: William Blackwood and Sons Fleet, Kate; Faroqhi, Suraiya; Kasaba, Reat (2006), The Cambridge history of Turkey: the later Ottoman Empire, 16031839, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-521620956, http://books.google.com/?id=g9UfRAnZzU4C Greene, Molly (2000), A Shared World: Christians and Muslims in the Early Modern Mediterranean, Princeton University Press, ISBN 978-0691008981 Holt, P. M.; Lambton, Ann K. S.; Lewis, Bernard (1978), The Central Islamic Lands from Pre-Islamic Times to the First World War, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 9780521291354 Lane, Frederic Chapin (1973), Venice, a Maritime Republic, JHU Press, ISBN 9780801814600, http://books.google.com/?id=PQpU2JGJCMwC Miller, William, Essays on the Latin Orient, Cambridge University Press Archive, http://books.google.com/?id=Wcw7AAAAIAAJ Murphey, Rhoads; Black, Jeremy (1999), Ottoman warfare, 15001700, Routledge, ISBN 978-1857283891 Nicolle, David (1989), The Venetian Empire, 12001670, Osprey Publishing, ISBN 9780850458992 Parry, Vernon J.; Cook, M. A. (1976), A History of the Ottoman Empire to 1730: Chapters from the Cambridge History of Islam and the New Cambridge Modern History, CUP Archive, ISBN 9780521099912 Setton, Kenneth Meyer (1991), Venice, Austria, and the Turks in the Seventeenth Century, DIANE Publishing, ISBN 0871691922 Shaw, Stanford Jay; Shaw, Ezel Kural (1976), History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey: Empire of the Gazis The Rise and Decline of the Ottoman Empire, 12801808, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0521291637 Turnbull, Stephen (2003), The Ottoman Empire 13261699, Routledge, ISBN 978-0415969130 (Greek) Tzompanaki, Chrysoula (2008). 16451669: [The Cretan War 16451669: The Great Siege and Epopee of Chandax]. Heraklion. ISBN 978-960-92052-4-5. (Greek) Vakalopoulos, Apostolos E. (1968). , : 14531669 [History of modern Hellenism, Volume III: Turkish rule 14531669]. Thessaloniki: Emm. Sfakianakis & Sons. External links Media related to Cretan War at Wikimedia Commons Municipality of Heraklion: The Cretan War Venice and the Sea, by the VENIVA consortium (in English, Greek, Italian). Venice Republic: Renaissance, 164569 During the Candian War (16451669), Leonardo Foscolo seized several forts, retook Novigrad, temporarily captured the Knin Fortress, and managed to compel the garrison of Klis Fortress to surrender.[1][2] Lorenzo Marcello (Venice, 1603 - Dardanelles, 26 June 1656) was a Venetian admiral. He fought against the Papal navy in 16421644 and subsequently participated in the new Turkish-Venetian War. In September 1655, he succeeded Francesco Morosini as the Captain General of the Sea. From this position he led the combined Venetian-Maltese fleet in battle in the Dardanelles in June 1656. Although he himself lost his life during the battle, it resulted in the greatest Venetian victory since the Battle of Lepanto. The name Lorenzo Marcello has been given to two Italian ships: a liner (1,413 grt, 234 ft. long) built in the 1920s and sunk in 1943, and a Marcello-class submarine, launched on 20 November 1937 and sunk on 22 February 1941.

1651 map depicting the Venetian Lion of St Mark standing guard over the Regno di Candia. By that time however, all of the island, except for the capital Candia, was under Ottoman control. Il regno tutto di Candia, M. Boschini, 1651

Plan von Canea (heute Chania) auf Kreta. Aus: Marco Boschini: Il regno tvtto di Candia. Delineato a parte. Venezia 1651

Map of the Dardanelles and vicinity

The Fourth Battle of the Dardanelles, by Pieter Casteleyn, 1657.

A Maltese galley. Although being gradually replaced by sailing ships, galleys formed still a large part of the Mediterranean navies during the 17th century. Battle of the Venetian fleet against the Turks at Phocaea (Focchies) in 1649. Painting by Abraham Beerstraten, 1656.

Grand Vizier Kprl Fazl Ahmed Pasha

German map of the final phase of the Siege of Candia. It clearly illustrates the city's trace italienne fortifications, and the proximity of the characteristic Ottoman siege trenches, especially in the northwestern sector (bottom right), to the walls.

During the Candian War, the Venetians in Dalmatia with the support of the local population managed to compel the Ottoman garrison of Klis Fortress to surrender. Festung Clissa (heute Klis) in Dalmatien. Aus: Alphonsi Lasor A Varea (Pseud. v. Raffaello Savonarola ): Universus Terrarum Orbis Scriptorum Calamo Delineatus: Hoc Est Auctorum Fere Omnium, Qui de Europae, Asiae, Africae et Americae Regnis, Provinciis, Populis, Civitatibus, Oppidis, Arcibus, Maribus, Insulis, Montibus, Fluminibus, Fodinis, Balneis, publicis Hortis, et de Aliis tam super, quam subtus Terram Locis ... Scripserunt ... Padua 1713

Schematics detailing the Turkish trenches and mines and the Venetian counter-mines at Candia, by Johann Bernhard Scheither, 1672. Christopher Duffy: The Fortress in the Age of Vauban and Frederick the Great 1660-1789; Siege Warfare Vol. II; London, Boston, Melbourne and Henley: 1985 First published in Scheither: Novissima praxis militaris, Brunswick: 1672Johann Bernhard Scheither, military engineer from Brunswick and veteran of the siege of Candia, date of birth unknown, died after 1677 Some illustrations of the Siege of Candia. The detail pictures show the Sant' Andrea and Panigra Bastions of the fortress: No. 22, upper left: Turkish batteries and approaches (the grid-like lines are trenches) No. 23, upper right: Plan of defenders countermines No. 23, lower left: Underground combat, note the stock of gunpowder charges in the lower right corner which will blow up the mine No 21, lower right: Plan of the bastions

A Venetian map of Crete.

Action of 28 September 1644

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Action of 28 September 1644 refers to a battle that took place on 28 September 1644 about 70 miles (110 km) from Rhodes, when 6 Maltese galleys under Boisbaudran defeated an Ottoman convoy of sailing ships. The battle The Maltese San Lorenzo, Santa Maria and Vittoria overhauled and attacked a Turkish galleon, while San Giuseppe and San Giovanni captured a smaller sailing ship and the "capitana" chased a vessel which turned out to be Greek, before returning to fight the galleon. After 7 hours, she was captured, with 220 of the 600 or more on board dead. Boisbaudran was killed, and the senior captain, Cotoner, of the San Lorenzo, took over command. Maltese casualties were 82 killed and 170 wounded, exclusively from among the rowing crews. On the voyage home, there were several storms, and eventually the galleon was abandoned near Malta, and ended up wrecked on the Calabrian coast. Repercussions The Turkish convoy had been heading from Constantinople to Alexandria, and carried a number of pilgrims bound for Mecca, as well as one of the Sultan's wives and her young son, and the exiled former Chief Black Eunuch, Snbl Aga. On the voyage home, the Maltese vessel carrying the loot stopped at Crete, then a Venetian dominion, where it took on board supplies and unloaded part of the treasure there. The Ottomans, already enraged at the loss of the ships, considered this act a breach of Venetian neutrality, and soon declared war on the Republic. Ships involved Knights of Malta ? ("capitana" of Boisbaudran) San Lorenzo Santa Maria Vittoria San Giuseppe San Giovanni Ottomans galleon - Captured, wrecked later smaller ship - Captured several others References Naval wars in the Levant 1559-1853 - R. C. Anderson ISBN 1-57898-538-2

Siege of Candia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Date Location Result Territorial changes Belligerents Ottoman Empire Commanders and leaders Kprl Fazl Ahmed Strength 60,000 soldiers 20,000 workers and miners 10,000 European allies men 12,000 Greek & Venetians Citizens Francesco Morosini Republic of Venice Knights of Malta 1 May 1648 27 September 1669 Heraklion, Crete Ottoman victory Crete ceded to Ottomans

The Siege of Candia (modern Heraklion, Crete) was a military conflict in which Ottoman forces besieged the Venetian-ruled city and were ultimately victorious. Lasting from 1648 to 1669, it was the longest siege in history. Background In the 17th century, Venice's power in the Mediterranean was waning, as Ottoman power grew. The Venetian Republic believed that the Ottomans would use any excuse to pursue further hostilities. In 1644, the Knights of Malta attacked an Ottoman convoy on its way from Alexandria to Constantinople. They landed at Candia with the loot, which included part of the Sultan's harem, returning from a pilgrimage to Mecca. In response, 60,000 Ottoman troops led by Yussuf Pasha disembarked on Venetian Crete and occupied La Canea (modern Chania) and Rettimo (modern Rethimno). Both of these cities took two months each to conquer. Between 1645 and 1648, the Turks occupied the rest of the island and prepared to take the capital, Candia. Siege The siege of Candia began in May 1648. The Turks spent three months investing the city, cutting off the water supply, and disrupting Venice's sea lanes to the city. For the next 16 years, they would bombard the city to little effect. The Venetians, in turn, sought to blockade the Ottoman-held Dardanelles to prevent the resupply of the Ottoman expeditionary force on Crete. This effort led to a series of naval actions. On 21 June 1655 and 26 August 1656, the Venetians were victorious, although the Venetian commander, Lorenzo Marcello, was killed in the latter engagement. However on 1719 July 1657, the Ottoman navy soundly defeated the Venetians and the Venetian captain, Lazzaro Mocenigo, was killed by a falling mast. Venice received more aid from

other western European states after the 7 November 1659 Treaty of the Pyrenees and the consequent peace between France and Spain. However, the Peace of Vasvr (August 1664) released additional Ottoman forces for action against the Venetians in Candia. In 1666, a Venetian attempt to recapture La Canea failed. The following year, Colonel Andrea Barozzi, a Venetian military engineer, defected to the Turks and gave them information on weak spots in Candia's fortifications. In 1669, a French land/sea expedition under Mocenigo not only failed to lift the siege, but also lost on 24 July the fleet's vice-flagship, La Thrse a 900-ton French warship armed with 58 cannons, to an accidental explosion. This dual disaster was devastating to the morale of the city's defenders. Apparently chastened by their failed relief effort and the loss of so valuable a warship, the French abandoned Candia in August 1669 leaving Captain General Francesco Morosini, the commander of Venetian forces, with only 3,600 fit men and scant supplies to defend the fortress. He, therefore, accepted terms and surrendered to Ahmed Kprl, the Grand Vizier of Albanian origin of the Ottoman Empire of on 27 September 1669. However, his surrender without first receiving authorization to do so from the Venetian Senate made Morosini a controversial figure in Venice for some years afterward. As part of the surrender terms, all Christians were allowed to leave Candia with whatever they could carry while Venice retained possession of Gramvousa, Souda and Spinalonga, fortified islands that shielded natural harbors where Venetian ships could stop during their voyages to the eastern Mediterranean. After Candia's fall, the Venetians somewhat offset their defeat by expanding their holdings in Dalmatia. It is said that when news of Candia's fall reached Pope Clement IX in October he immediately fell ill and, two months later, died. Other participants Knights of Malta fought at the Siege of Candia (in Crete) in 1668. In fact, by raiding an Ottoman convoy en route from Alexandria to Constantinople in 1644 and capturing part of the sultan's harem, they could be said to have precipitated the crisis. Francois de Beaufort, who died there. Philippe de Montault-Bnac, marshal under the duke of Beaufort. Philippe de Vendme, the nephew of the duke of Beaufort Vincenzo Rospigliosi, admiral of the fleet and Pope Clement's nephew. Charles de Svign. In fiction The Siege of Candia is an important part of the background to the historical novel "An Instance of the Fingerpost", where a major protagonist is a Venetian veteran of that siege and several plot developments become clear through extensive flashbacks to the Candia events. See also Naval battles of the Cretan Wars History of the Republic of Venice Ottoman Navy Ottoman wars in Europe References A Very Brief History of Crete, Stelios Jackson Crete: History and culture, Turkish Occupation (16691898) The War for Candia, by the VENIVA consortium. Venice Republic: Renaissance, 1645-69 The war of Candia, by Marco Antonio Bragadin. Knights of Malta - Order of St John.

Naval Battles of the Cretan War (1645-69)

o o

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1644 September 28 - Maltese galleys defeat Turkish sailing ships near Rhodes; their subsequent stay in Venetian-held Crete provoked the outbreak of war (details) 1645 September 28 or 29 - Combined Christian fleet tries and fails to retake Canea (Chania) in Crete, from the Ottomans October 1 - Christians vs Turks near Canea, Crete 1646 May 26 - Venetians defeat Turkish attempt to break their blockade of the Dardanelles. (details) August 14 - Inconclusive fight between Christians and the Ottoman fleet anchored at Chania Bay, Crete 1647 January 27 - The Ottoman fleet of 45 galleys attacks the ship of the Venetian admiral Tommaso Morosini. Both Morosini and the Ottoman admiral, Kara Musa Pasha, are killed. After suffering significant casualties, the Turks are driven off by the arrival of the remaining Venetian fleet. August 25 - Inconclusive skirmish between Christians and Turks September 9 - Inconclusive skirmish between Christians and Turks 1649 May 6 - Minor battle between Venetians and Turks May 12 Focchies - Venetians defeat large Turkish fleet near western Turkey July 15 - Venetians vs Turks near Candia, Crete (details) July 18 - Venetians defeat Turks near Candia (details) 1651 July 8 and 10 - Venetians under Mocenigo defeat Turks (details) 1654 April - Maltese privateers defeat Turks near Rhodes May 16 - Turks under Murad defeat Venetians under Giuseppe Delfino in Dardanelles (details) June 21 - Turks retreat after skirmish with Venetians west of Milos 1655 June 21 - Venetians under Lazaro Mocenigo defeat Turks under Mustapha in Dardanelles (details) 1656 June 26 and 27 - Venetians and Maltese under Lorenzo Marcello defeat Turks under Chinam Pasha in Dardanelles (details)

 o o o o o o o o

1657 May 3 - Venetians defeat Algerines (details) May 18 - Venetians under Lazaro Mocenigo defeat Turks and Algerines at Suazich (details) July 1719 - Venetians, Maltese and Papal forces under Lazaro Mocenigo defeat Turks in Dardanelles (details) 1658 May 19 - Venetians under Contarini defeat Turks between Imbros and the Dardanelles 1659 August 26 (or 27?) - Venetians under Contarini vs Turks (details) 1660 between May 26 and June 12 - Slight skirmish between Venetians and Turks 1661 March (end) - Venetians defeat Turks in minor skirmish May 18 - Venetians defeat Turks in minor skirmish August 27 - Venetians and Maltese defeat Turks near Milos, Greece (details) 1662 September 29 - Venetians defeat Turkish "Alexandria Caravan" between Kos and Kalymnos, Greece (details) 1665 March - French under the Duc de Beaufort defeat Algerines near La Goulette, Tunisia (details) August - French under the Duc de Beaufort defeat Algerines at Cherchell, Algeria - French under d'Escrainville defeat Turks 1667 February 25 and 26 - Venetians under Molin defeat Turks and Tunisians north of Crete (details) 1668 March 8 and 9 - Venetians defeat Turks near Pelagia, Greece (details) May 2 - French defeat Turks (details) about September - Barbary "Turks" defeat Venetians south of Crete (details) 1669 June - Privateers defeat "Alexandria Caravan" escort near Rhodes (details)

Action of 26 May 1646

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This battle took place on 26 May 1646 at the mouth of the Dardanelles Strait[1]. The Ottoman fleet under Kapudan Pasha Kara Musa Pasha, tried to defeat the Venetian fleet, under Tommaso Morosini, that was blockading the Dardanelles. After seven hours, the Ottoman fleet withdrew back into the Strait. Several Turkish ships were damaged, but none lost. Venice 7 sailing ships Turkey 5 galleasses 75 galleys 1. ^ Setton, Kenneth Meyer (1991), Venice, Austria, and the Turks in the Seventeenth Century, DIANE Publishing, ISBN 0871691922, p139

Battle of Focchies 1649

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Battle of the combined Venetian and Malta fleets against the Turks, with the Madonna della Vigna on the left. (Abraham Beerstraten, 1656 Date Location Result Belligerents Ottoman Empire Commanders and leaders Giacomo Riva 11 sailing ships 10 galleasses 72 galleys Casualties and losses 9 sailing ships lost 3 galleasses burnt 2 galleys burnt 105 casualties 19 sailing ships Republic of Venice Knights of Malta 12 May 1649 Focchies, near Smyrna in western Turkey Venetian victory

The naval Battle of Focchies took place on 12 May 1649, during the Cretan War, off Focchies, near Smyrna in western Turkey, when a Venetian fleet of 19 ships, under Giacomo Riva, defeated an Ottoman fleet of 11 ships, 10 galleasses (mahons) and 72 galleys. Prelude A Venetian fleet had been blockading the Dardanelles Straits since about April 1648. On 19 November, most of the fleet withdrew, leaving 13 sailing ships, under Riva. In Spring 1649 he was joined by Bertucci Civrano with seven more, making 19 as

he had lost one. Early in May, the Ottoman fleet appeared from Istanbul. Only two of Riva's ships attacked them, and the Turks made it out of the Strait and headed south. Riva followed and caught them at the port of Focchies, on the mainland. Many of the Venetian ships were hired Dutch or English vessels, and Riva had to promise to compensate their captains for any damage. Battle When it became apparent that the Venetians were going to attack, the 10 galleasses covered the entrance to the port, with the galleys further in. One Ottoman sailing ship was captured by Mercante Diletto and Jupiter, one galleass by James (Captain George Scot), which was so damaged it sank ten days later, and one galley was brought off by her own slaves. Nine sailing ships, three galleasses and two galleys were burnt before the wind changed, preventing the fire from spreading to other Ottoman ships and causing the Venetians to withdraw as the burning ships were blown toward them. Three Venetian ships didn't fight: Esperienza which kept out to sea, and Francese and San Bartolamio (Captain Alardi), which were abandoned by their crews. San Bartolamio was recovered by Tre Re but Francese ran ashore and was burnt by the Turks. The Venetians suffered 105 casualties. The Turks lost nine ships, three galleasses and two galleys burnt, while one of each type was captured. Venice (Giacomo Riva) Many were hired English or Dutch vessels Rotta Fortuna (flag) Croce Dorata Tre Re Mercante Diletto (English Merchant's Delight?) Principessa (flag 2?) James (English?/Scottish?) - Sank 22 May San Felippe Carita (Dutch Lieffde) Esperienza Giudizio di Salomon (Dutch Salomons Gerecht) Madonna della Vigna (Dutch) Jupiter (Dutch) Profeta Samuel Amburgense Sacrificio d'Abram (Dutch Abrahams Offerand) Fregata Contarini Orca Negro San Bartolamio (French?) Francese (French?) - Abandoned, aground and burnt Ottoman Empire 11 sailing ships - 9 burnt, 1 captured . 10 galleasses - 3 burnt, 1 captured. 72 galleys - 2 burnt, 1 captured References Naval wars in the Levant 1559-1853 - R. C. Anderson ISBN 1-57898-538-2

Action of 10 July 1651

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This battle was fought on 10 July 1651, with some minor fighting on 8 July, south of Naxos in the Greek Islands, between Venetian and Turkish sailing ship/galley forces. It was a Venetian victory. Background The Venetian fleet, under Alvise Mocenigo, sailed from Cerigo to Euboea at the end of June 1651. It consisted of twenty eight sailing ships (under Luca Francesco Barbarigo, with Dolfin and Girolamo Battaglia), six galleasses (Francesco Morosini) and twenty four galleys (Mocenigo, with Molin). There on 2 July he learned that the Turkish fleet under kapudan pasha Hosambegzade ALi Pasha had left Chios for Patmos on 29 June, and sailed south to Santorin, hoping to intercept it before it reached Crete. He arrived on 5 July, and on 7 July the Turkish fleet appeared from the east, sailing to the south of Santorini, but it turned north when it spotted some Venetian stragglers, and Mocenigo tried to support them. Nineteen sailing ships under Battaglia formed a line abreast, but darkness prevented any action from happening that day. The battle On 8 July, the Venetians were somewhat scattered, with five sailing ships, under Battaglia, close to the Turks. He was unsupported against them until Barbarigo with six sailing ships engaged the Turkish rowing vessels. The Turks retired north, towing some of their sailing ships, toward the channel between Naxos and Paros. On 9 July, the Venetians were more scattered, with only one sailing ship supporting their galleys, and Mocenigo had to join them with the rest. The Turks were to the north, steering between Paros and Naxos. On 10 July, two galleasses, under Tomaso and Lazaro Mocenigo, broke formation and attacked some Turkish galleys which were still watering at Paros. They ended up fighting the Kapudan Pasha himself, with six galleasses and some galleys, and Tomaso was killed. Francesco Morosini arrived with the Venetian galleys, and later the Venetian Right and Center joined and the Turkish galleys fled, leacving their sailing ships unsupported. These fled north or east of Naxos, but they were overhauled by the Venetian rowing vessels, which captured, forced them ashore or burnt them. The Turks lost ten or eleven sailing ships and one galleass captured, and five (sailing ships?) burnt, as well as 965 prisoners. Afterward, Mocenigo sailed to Heraklion, and the Turks to Rhodes. Ships involved Many of the Venetian ships were hired Dutch or English Venice (Alvise Mocenigo) Leoncorno Bianco Giovanni Battista Aquila Negra Giovanni Battista Arma di Venezia

Profeta Daniel San Giobbe San Zorzi (Giorgio) Maria Elizabeta Principe piccolo Margarita San Pietro San Zorzi Madonna della Vigna Aquila d'Oro Dragon Sacrificio d'Abram Difesa Rotta Fortuna Croce d'Oro Damian Tomaso Francesco Fregata Grimani San Marco grande San Marco piccolo Beneditione Profeta Samuel 6 galleasses 24 galleys Turkey 55 sailing ships - 10 or 11 captured. 6 galleasses - 1 captured. 53 galleys References Anderson, R. C. (2005). Naval wars in the Levant 1559-1853. Mansfield Center, Connecticut: Martino Pub. ISBN 157898-538-2. Setton, Kenneth Meyer (1991). Venice, Austria, and the Turks in the Seventeenth Century. DIANE Publishing. pp. 163 164. ISBN 0-87169-192-2.

Battle of the Dardanelles (1654)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This battle, which took place on 16 May 1654, was the first of a series of tough battles just inside the mouth of the Dardanelles Strait, as Venice and sometimes the other Christian forces attempted to hold the Turks back from their invasion of Crete by attacking them early. Venetian commander Giuseppe Delfino reached the mouth of the Dardanelles on 19 April after a voyage in which he lost 3 ships. His fleet of 16 sailing ships, 2 galleasses and 8 galleys was not large enough or adequately prepared. Murad, the Kapudan Pasha (admiral) left Istanbul with 30 sailing ships, 6 galleasses (known in Turkey as mahons), and 40 galleys on 10 May and reached the Narrows, just above the mouth of the Dardanelles, on 15 May. His fleet was formed into 3 lines: sailing ships first, then galleasses, then galleys. The next day Delfino attacked. His plan was for his ships to remain at anchor until the Turks passed and then to attack the rear. However most Venetian ships sailed too soon, leaving Delfinos ship, San Giorgio grande, that of his second, Daniele Morosini, Aquila d'Oro, along with Orsola Bonaventura (Sebastiano Molino), Margarita, 2 galleasses and 2 galleys without support. Aquila d'Oro was attacked first, by a large Ottoman ship which she managed to capture, before 5 Turkish vessels came to its rescue. The Ottoman vessel ended up being burnt, leading to the burning of Aquila d'Oro too. Morosini was taken prisoner as he tried to flee in a boat. The action became more general, and when it was over the Venetians had lost 2 ships and 1 galley burnt, 1 galley captured, as well as the leader of the galleys, Francesco Morosini, killed, and Daniele Morosini captured. Total casualties were 30 killed and about 40 wounded, although one account had higher figures. Ottoman losses were 2 sailing ships burnt, and perhaps 1 galleass and 1 galley lost. Venice (Giuseppe Delfino) Many were hired Dutch or English ships San Giorgio grande (flag) Aquila d'Oro (Dutch Gouden Arend) - Burnt Concordia (Dutch Eendracht) Casa di Nassau (Dutch Huys van Nassau) San Zorzi (Giorgio) piccolo (Dutch Kleene Sint Joris) Aquila Coronato (Dutch Kronede Arend) Orsola Bonaventura (English Ursula Bonaventure) - Burnt Anna Bonaventura (English Anne Bonaventure) San Michiel Spirito Santo Apollo Margarita San Giovanni Conte Sdrin/Conte Desdrin Genovese grande

Pinco Tremartino 2 galleasses 8 galleys - flag galley of Francesco Morosini burnt, 1 other captured Turkey (Kara Murat Pasha) 30 sailing ships - 2 burnt. 6 galleasses - 1 sunk?. 40 galleys - 1 sunk?. Reserve fleet guarding retreat of 14 sailing ships and 22 galleys References Naval wars in the Levant 1559-1853 (1952) - R. C. Anderson ISBN 1-57898-538-2

Battle of the Dardanelles (1655)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This battle took place on 21 June 1655 inside the mouth of the Dardanelles Strait. It was a clear victory for Venice over the Ottoman Empire. The Venetians, under Lazzaro Mocenigo, continued their strategy of blockading the Dardanelles, to prevent the Ottomans from resupplying their forces in the Aegean Sea. The orders were the same as for the previous year - remain at anchor until the Ottoman fleet passed, then attack the rear - and this time the plan worked. The previous Kapudan Pasha, Kara Murad, had been promoted to Grand Vizier and his replacement, Mustapha, had 36 sailing ships, 8 galleasses and 60 galleys, as well as perhaps several galleys from outside the Dardanelles. Once again, the Ottomans were arranged in 3 lines abreast: Sailing ships, then galleasses, then galleys. The Venetians had 26 sailing ships, 4 galleasses and 6 galleys. As the Ottomans advanced, one galleass was sunk and one galley burnt and the rowing vessels retreated, after which the Venetians attacked the Ottoman sailing ships, resulting in 9 being burnt and 2 wrecked. The only Venetian loss was David Golia, which was burnt. Venetian casualties exclusive of the sunken ship were 126 killed and 180 wounded. 358 Ottomans were taken prisoner. Venice (Lazzaro Mocenigo) (most were hired from the Netherlands, Britain and France) ? ("capitana") Aquila Coronata Concordia Profeta Samuel Tomaso Francesco Campo d'Oche Principessa grande Tre Re Croce d'Oro Sacrificio d'Abramo Lepre Rosso Principessa piccola Corona Gallo d'Oro Ercole grande Re David Isabella Maria David Golia (sunk) Pesce Triglio Ercole piccolo Arma di Nassau Lionessa Arma di Lech Sant' Antonio di Padova Leon Negro 6 galleys 4 galleasses Ottomans (Mustapha) 36 sailing ships - 9 burnt, 2 wrecked. 8 galleasses - 1 sunk. 60 galleys - 1 burnt References Naval wars in the Levant 1559-1853 - R. C. Anderson ISBN 1-57898-538-2

Battle of the Dardanelles (1656)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Date Location Result Republic of Venice Lorenzo Marcello Knights of Malta Pietro Bembo Barbado Badoer 26 June 1656 Dardanelles Straits Venetian victory Ottoman Empire Gregorio Carafa Kenan or Chinam Pasha

Background Since 1645, Venice and the Ottoman Empire had been at war over the possession of the island of Crete. Ottoman forces had captured most of the island in the early years of the war, but where unable to seize its capital, the heavily fortified city of Candia (modern Heraklion). The Venetians, superior at sea, endeavoured to cut off the supplies and reinforcements to the Ottoman army, and attempted several times to blockade the Straits of the Dardanelles, through which the Ottoman fleet had to sail to reach the Aegean Sea from its base around Constantinople. Preface Marcello reached the island of Imbros, outside the Dardanelles Strait, on 23 May 1656 with 13 sailing ships, 6 galleasses and 24 galleys as well as some more vessels under Pietro Bembo. On 11 June, 7 Maltese galleys under Gregorio Carafa arrived, making a total of 29 sailing ships, 7 galleasses and 31 galleys.[1][2] On 23 June the Ottomans, under Kenan or Chinam Pasha, a Russian convert, appeared in the Strait with 28 sailing ships, 9 galleasses and 61 galleys. On 24 June Turkish land batteries on either side of the Straits tried to drive the Venetians off but failed.[1][2] Battle In the morning of 26 June the wind was from the north, and the Ottomans made good progress, the Venetian galleys being unable to assist their sailing ships. Then the wind backed, turning to the SE, trapping the Ottomans against the Asian side of the Strait just below the Narrows, and a mle ensued, the result of which was never in doubt. Kenan Pasha got back past the Narrows with 14 galleys but the rest were either captured, sunk or burnt.[1] Sultan/San Marco was the most advanced Venetian ship and did the most to prevent the Ottoman retreat, but she ran aground under the Ottoman guns and was abandoned. During the course of the battle, the Venetian Captain General Marcello was killed by a direct cannon hit, but his death kept a secret from all but his second, the provedditore of the fleet Barbaro Badoer. Some small-scale fighting happened the next day, and at the end of it, the Ottoman fleet had lost 4 large sailing ships, 2 pinks, 5 galleasses and 13 galleys captured, and 22 sailing ships, 4 galleasses and 34 galleys sunk or burnt. Only 2 Ottoman sailing ships and 14 galleys escaped. Of the captured ships, Malta received 2 galleasses, 8 galleys and 1 "super galley" (or galleass?). The Venetians lost 3 sailing ships burnt and their casualties were 207 killed, 260 wounded and 94 missing. Maltese casualties were 40 killed and 100 or more wounded. Some 5,000 Christian slaves employed in the Ottoman fleet were freed.[3] Aftermath It was the heaviest naval defeat the Ottomans had suffered since the Battle of Lepanto,[3][4] and enabled the Venetians to occupy the strategically important islands of Tenedos and Lemnos, thus establishing a tight blockade of the Straits.[5] As a result, the resupply of Crete was effectively cut off, and Constantinople itself suffered a shortage of food during the winter.[6] In a threeday battle in July 1657 however, the blockade would be broken again.[7] Christian fleet Venice (Lorenzo Marcello, with Pietro Bembo) Fregata Contarini Tomaso Francesco Principessa grande Tre Re Croce d'Oro Principessa piccola Gallo d'Oro Sacrificio d'Abram Aquila Coronata (Kronede Arend) Profeta Samuel Arma di Nassau - Burnt Lionessa Arma di Lech Leon Negro Madonna del Carmine Santa Caterina Profeta Elia San Bartolamio Fama Volante Ercole Rosa Bianca Speranza (or San Nicola) Principe di Colognia San Pietro (hired Dutch) - Burnt Sultana/San Marco (ex-Ottoman) - Aground, abandoned and burnt Santa Margarita Paramor ? ? 7 galleasses 24 galleys Malta (Gregorio Carafa) 7 galleys Ottoman Empire (Kenan Pasha) 4 large sailing ships - Captured 24 other sailing ships - 22 sunk/burnt 2 pinks - Captured

 9 galleasses - 5 captured, 4 sunk/burnt 61 galleys - 13 captured, 34 sunk/burnt References 1. ^ a b c Setton (1991), p. 182 2. ^ a b Anderson (1956), p. 159 3. ^ a b Setton (1991), p. 183 4. ^ Finkel (2006), p. 248 5. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 183-185 6. ^ Finkel (2006), pp. 251-252 7. ^ Setton (1991), pp. 186-188 Sources Anderson, Roger Charles (1952). Naval wars in the Levant 1559-1853. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 1-57898-5382. Finkel, Caroline (2006). Osman's Dream: The Story of the Ottoman Empire 1300-1923. London: John Murray. ISBN 9780-7195-6112-2. Setton, Kenneth Meyer (1991). Venice, Austria, and the Turks in the Seventeenth Century. DIANE Publishing. ISBN 0871691922.

Battle of the Dardanelles, by Pieter Casteleyn, 1657.

Action of 3 May 1657

The Action of 3 May 1657 was a battle that took place on 3 May 1657 and was a victory for Venice over Algeria. Venetian casualties were 117 killed and 346 wounded. Few details are known. Venice (Mocenigo) 6 galleasses? 19 galleys? Algeria Perla (flag??) - Captured Fontana Rose - Captured Sette Teste - Aground and burnt Doi Lioni - Aground and burnt Luna Biscaina - Aground and burnt Molin de Vento - Captured Tigra - Aground and burnt Lione ? (ex-Venetian Croce d'Oro, captured earlier that year) - Captured References Naval wars in the Levant 1559-1853 - R. C. Anderson ISBN 1-57898-538-2

Action of 18 May 1657

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This battle took place on 18 May 1657 and was a victory for Venice over Turkey and Algeria. Not many details are known. Venice Capitana d'Algeri (ex-Algerian Perla, captured earlier that year) Arma di Midelborgo Pomerlan Arma di Colognia Turkey/Algeria 14 saiks - Captured References Naval wars in the Levant 1559-1853 - R. C. Anderson ISBN 1-57898-538-2

Battle of the Dardanelles (1657)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Date Location Result Republic of Venice Lazzaro Mocenigo 29 sailing ships 7 galeasses 31 galleys 17 -19 July 1657 Dardanelles Straits, NE Aegean Sea Ottoman strategic success Knights of Malta Papal States Ottoman Empire Topal Mehmed Pasha 28 sailing ships 9 galleasses 61 galleys

The Fourth Battle of the Dardanelles in the Sixth Ottoman-Venetian War took place between 17 and 19 July 1657 outside the mouth of the Dardanelles Strait. The Ottomans succeeded in breaking the Venetian blockade over the Straits. Venice and allies Several ships were hired Dutch Aquila Coronata (Dutch Kronede Arend) San Giorgio (Zorzi) grande (Dutch Groote Sint Joris) Paramore Profeta Elia Rosa Moceniga Zardin d'Olanda (Hollandsche Tuyn) Tamburlano Principessa Reale Principe di Venezia Piccola Fortuna Principessa grande Principessa piccola Gallo d'Oro 7 other sailing ships 7 galleasses 4 galleys - flag galley, under Mocenigo, blew up the next day Ottoman Empire 18 sailing ships - 4 lost, 1 captured 10 galleasses - 1 sunk, 1 captured and several burnt about 3 days later 30 galleys - 1 captured that day or the next day many transports and smaller vessels nearby References Naval wars in the Levant 1559-1853 - R. C. Anderson ISBN 1-57898-538-2

Action of 27 August 1661

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Action of 27 August 1661 is a term that describes a battle took place on 27 August 1661 near Milos, Greece, and was a victory for Venice and Malta over Turkey. Venice (Giorgio Morosini)/Malta (Ruffo) 2 galleasses 20 galleys Turkey 36 galleys - 5 sunk, 4 captured References Naval wars in the Levant 1559-1853 - R. C. Anderson ISBN 1-57898-538-2

Action of 29 September 1662

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Action of 29 September 1662 took place between Kos and Kalimnos, Greece, when a Venetian fleet attacked and defeated the regular Turkish cargo fleet and its escort which were on their way to Alexandria. Venice ? Turkey Tre Naranceri 40 - Burnt Gran Duca - Captured San Carlo/Filippoto - Captured ? (pink) - Captured 13 other ships 5 galleys 36 saiks - 28 sunk or captured References Naval wars in the Levant 1559-1853 - R. C. Anderson ISBN 1-57898-538-2

Kprl Fazl Ahmed

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kprl Fazl Ahmed Pasha (Albanian: Fazl Ahmed Pash Kypriljoti) Was a member of the renowned Kprl family originated from Albania, that had given three grand viziers to the Ottoman Empire. [1] He served as a Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from (1661 1635 October 19, 1676). when he inherited the title from his father and founder of the Kprl Family Mehmed Kprl. He was dubbed Fazl, meaning fair-minded, for reducing taxation and promoting education. On the other hand, he was fierce in war. He led the Ottoman Army in the Austro-Turkish War (1663-1664) and captured Candia (present day Heraklion) in 1669 and signed the Treaty of Zurawno on October 16, 1676. Preceded by Kprl Mehmed Pasha Grand Vizier 31 Oct 1661 19 Oct 1676 Succeeded by Kara Mustafa Pasha Reference ^ Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire By Gbor goston, Bruce Alan Masters, [1] See also Kprl Era

Austro-Turkish War (16631664)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Date Location Result 16631664 Kingdom of Hungary (present-day Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia) Peace of Vasvr France Bavaria Holy Roman Empire Baden-Baden Saxony Swabia Ottoman Empire Khanate Moldavia Crimean Wallachia

League of the Rhine: Brandenburg-Prussia Piedmont-Savoy et al.

The Austro-Turkish War (16631664) or fourth Austro-Turkish War was a short war between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire. The Habsburg army under Raimondo Montecuccoli succeeded to halt the Ottoman army on its way to Vienna in the Battle of Saint Gotthard. Despite this Ottoman defeat, the war ended with the favourable Peace of Vasvr. Prelude The cause of this war was the invasion of Poland in 1658, by Prince George Rkczy II of Transylvania without the permission of the Porte. Transylvania had after the Battle of Mohcs in 1526 recognized Ottoman suzerainty and paid a tribute to the Porte and were given political and religious autonomy in return. On hearing about Rkczy's unauthorized war, the Ottomans declared war on their vassal. It was not long before Grand Vizier Kprl Mehmed Pasha (Vizier 1656-1661) defeated Rkczy and conquered Transylvania. The new Transylvanian prince, Jnos Kemny, fled to Vienna, seeking Austrian support. Emperor Leopold I, not wishing to see Transylvania fall under direct Ottoman control, sent Montecuccoli into Hungary with a small army. Montecuccoli was severely outnumbered by the Ottomans. Meanwhile, the Ban of Croatia, Mikls Zrnyi, was since 1661 doing his best to start a new Austro-Ottoman conflict by organizing raids into Ottoman territory from his stronghold Zrnyijvr. These raids and the presence of Montecuccoli's army made the Ottomans end the status-quo with Vienna, which existed between them since 1606. 1663 campaign In the summer of 1663, an Ottoman army of more than 100.000 strong under Grand Vizier Kprl Fazl Ahmed entered Habsburg Hungary and in September conquered the town of rsekjvr. The Habsburg commander Raimondo Montecuccoli had only his 12.000 men and the 15.000 Hungarian-Croatian troops of Mikls Zrnyi to oppose the Turks. Emperor Leopold I summoned the Imperial Diet in January 1663, to ask the German and European Kings for help, with success. An army of 30.000 Bavarian, Brandenburg and Saxon troops was raised. Even arch-enemy Louis XIV of France sent an Army Corps of 6.000 under Jean de Coligny-Saligny in support. 1664 campaign At the beginning of 1664, the Imperial Army was divided into 3 Corps: In the south 17.000 Hungarian-Croatian troops under command of Mikls Zrnyi. In the center the main army of Montecuccoli which was 28.500 men strong and in the north some 8.500 men under general Jean-Louis Raduit de Souches. There were some 12.500 men in reserve to defend the fortresses. This army of 66.500 men was not a unity, as the differences of opinion between the commanders were very strong, especially with Zrinski. As a preparation for campaigns planned for 1664, Zrnyi set out to destroy the strongly fortified Ottoman bridge (the Eszk bridge) which, since 1566, had linked Drda to Eszk across the Drava and the marshes of Baranya. Destruction of the bridge would cut off the retreat of the Ottoman Army and make any Turkish reinforcement impossible for several months. Re-capturing strong fortresses (Berzence, Babcsa, the town of Pcs, etc.) on his way, Zrnyi advanced 240 kilometers on enemy territory and destroyed the bridge on February 1, 1664. He didn't succeed in conquering Nagykanizsa, the main objective. The siege had to be lifted when in June the main army of Kprl approached. The Turks even conquered Zrnyi's stronghold Zrnyijvr, which had to be abandoned when Montecuccoli refused to come to its rescue. Zrnyi would never forgive this, which would eventually lead to the Wesselnyi conspiracy. Battle of Saint Gotthard Main article: Battle of Saint Gotthard (1664) After the conquest of Zrnyijvr, the Ottoman main army marched towards Vienna, but was stopped at the Rba river between Mogersdorf and the Szentgotthrd Abbey by Montecuccolis army. The Ottomans lost 16.000 to 22.000 of their best troops. In the north of Hungary the army of Souches had won some smaller victories against Kutschuk Mehmed Pascha. The most important of this victories was the Siege of Lva. Peace of Vasvr Main article: Peace of Vasvr Only 9 days later, on August 10, 1664 the Peace of Vasvr was signed, to last 20 years. Despite the Austrian victory as Saint Gotthard, Ottoman control of Transylvania and rsekjvr was recognized, as well as the Austrian Empire becoming obliged to pay war reparations to the Ottoman Empire. Zrnyijvr was to be dismantled. The major factor in the Habsburgs' decision, was the French threat to the much more valuable estates in the Netherlands, Germany and Italy. Consequences The Croats and Hungarians were outraged at the loss of their territories and felt the initiative and momentum after the victory of Saint Gotthard should have been maintained. This led to the Wesselnyi conspiracy. The peace in fact held for 20 years until the Ottomans attacked Vienna for the second time in 1683 and were pushed back from Hungary in the following Great Turkish War (1683 - 1699).

Battle of Saint Gotthard (1664)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Date Location Result August 1, 1664 Szentgotthrd, Vas County, along the present-day Austro-Hungarian border Decisive League victory Margrave von Baden Comte de Coligny Prince Ahmed Kprl

Raimondo Montecuccoli Waldeck

~26-28,000[1], or 40,000[2] Casualties 2-6,000

~ 50,000-60,000 (30,000 remained unengaged[3]), or ~60,000 janissaries, and sipahi 60-90,000 irregular[1] Casualties 16-22,000[1]

The Battle of Saint Gotthard (Hungarian: Szentgotthrd) was fought on August 1, 1664 as part of the Austro-Turkish War (1663-1664), between an Habsburg army led by Raimondo Montecuccoli, Jean de Coligny-Saligny, Wolfgang Julius von Hohenlohe, Prince Leopold of Baden, Georg Friedrich of Waldeck and an Ottoman army under the command of Kprl Fazl Ahmed. The battle took place near Szentgotthrd and Mogersdorf in Western Hungary, near the present-day Austro-Hungarian border and is known as the Battle of Mogersdorf in Austria. The Turks were militarily defeated but were able to negotiate the Peace of Vasvr, which was highly favorable to them.[4] Preparations Ottoman dominance in Hungary began with the Battle of Mohcs in 1526, which resulted in the conquest of most of Hungary by Suleiman the Magnificent. Meanwhile, the parts of Hungary that remained under Austrian control became known as Royal Hungary. Although the Ottomans had been in relative decline since the death of Suleiman I, Ottoman power saw a resurgence under the extremely capable Kprl family who sought to destroy the Austrian Habsburgs once and for all. They found their casus belli when the Habsburgs supported a Transylvanian rebellion against Ottoman rule. Transylvania had escaped Ottoman conquest during the invasion of Hungary and retained its independence by playing off of their powerful neighbors: Poland, Austria and the Ottomans. They recognized Ottoman suzerainty and paid a tribute to the Porte but were given political and religious autonomy in return. In 1658, seeking new land for his principality, Prince George Rkczy II invaded Poland with his Swedish allies in the Second Northern War. After initial success, he was defeated by the Poles and fled back to Transylvania. On hearing about Rkczy's unauthorized war, the Ottomans declared war on their vassal. It was not long before Grand Vizier Kprl Mehmed Pasha (Vizier 1656-1661) defeated Rkczy and conquered Transylvania. The new Transylvanian prince, Jnos Kemny, fled to Vienna, seeking Austrian support. Emperor Leopold I, not wishing to see Transylvania fall under direct Ottoman control, sent Montecuccoli into Hungary with his small army. Montecuccoli gave no direct support as he was severely outnumbered by the Ottomans. The Ottomans, meanwhile, completed the conquest of Transylvania[citation needed] and built up their forces in Ottoman Hungary. Leopold I, not wishing to face the Turks alone, summoned the Imperial Diet in January 1663. The Turks failed to conquer the fortress of Nov Zmky six times, but managed to do so in 1663. It was made the center of an Ottoman province, the Uyvar eyalet in present-day southern Slovakia. Turks and Tatars crossed the Danube in strength in 1663, ravaging Slovakia, Moravia, and Silesia. They took 12,000 slaves in Moravia. Several Turkish divisions reached as far as Olomouc.[5] Diplomatic efforts The Austrian victory was achieved more due to diplomatic efforts than military power. Although Leopold personally objected to Protestantism, he had to rely on his Protestant German princes to provide military aid. Even worse was the military aid from France, which was (and continued to be until the Diplomatic Revolution of 1756) Austria's arch-nemesis. Despite numerous objections from some Protestant princes, help was not withheld. The League of the Rhine - a French dominated group of German princes - agreed to send a corps of 6,000 men independently commanded by Count Coligny of France and Prince Johann Philipp of Mainz. By September 1663, Brandenburg and Saxony had also agreed to contingents of their own. In January 1664, the Imperial Diet agreed to raise 21,000 men, although this army did not yet exist other than on paper. The Turks had declared war in April 1663, but were slow in executing their invasion plans. Battle Kprl's army, which might have numbered 120-150,000, probably included some 60,000 Janissaries and sipahis, 60-90,000 azaps, akncs, silidars, tatars and vassals and allegedly 360 gun. Montecuccoli's army consisted of Austrian, and German forces, Czech infantry, French brigades, approx. 2,000 Croatians, a Piedmontish regiment and few hundred Hungarians. The Habsburg forces: 5,000 infantry (10 Battalions), 5,900 cavalry (27 escadrons), 10 guns The Holy Roman forces: 6,200 infantry (6 Battalions), 1,200 cavalry (9 escadrons), 14 guns The Rhine forces: 600 infantry (2 Battalions), 300 cavalry (4 escadrons) The French forces: 3,500 infantry (4 Battalions), 1,750 cavalry (10 escadrons) Other forces: 2,000 Croat cavalry (out of this a regiment), Hungarian foot soldiers in Szentgotthrd, and Esterhzy, Batthyny and Ndasdy regiment's, Czech musketeers and the Italian (Piedmontish) infantry regiment (commander Marchese Pio de Savoya). The Turks renewed their invasion in the spring of 1664. Montecuccoli was still waiting for help to arrive, and this delay was key to the defense of Austria. In July 1664 the Imperial forces were assembled and set out for the River Rba, which separated the Ottoman forces from the Austrian duchy itself. If the Turks were allowed to cross, they would threaten both Vienna and Graz. Montecuccoli intercepted the Turks before they crossed the river but the division of command made effective deployment of troops impossible. On 1 August 1664, Ottoman forces crossed the river near the monastery of Saint Gotthard and beat the Austrians back. Although initially plagued by disunity, Montecuccoli was finally able to convince Coligny and Leopold Wilhelm of Baden-Baden (commander of the Imperial detachment) to mass their forces and attack the Ottoman troops, who were reorganizing in a nearby forest. The attack surprised the Turks, who fled in confusion back to the river, a large number drowning. The confusion caused by the fleeing troops prevented Ahmed Kprl (Vizier 1661-1676) from sending the rest of his army across the river and he instead retired from the field. Ottoman casualties were heavy, significantly falling mostly on the elite corps of the army. Kprl was left with an army of ill-trained irregulars and auxiliaries while Montecuccoli's casualties were light and mostly in the Imperial contingent. Despite the victory, the Austrians were still outnumbered nearly three to one[citation needed].In his work The Ottoman Centuries, Lord Kinross reported that the Turks took huge casualties from the French auxiliaries in the Austrian ranks. This was the first Ottoman experience at fighting soldiers using the musket in disciplined ranks[citation needed]. But the Turks, in their conservatism, were slow to adopt new economic, military, and social methods, and thus were becoming at this time gradually outclassed by their European opponents. Aftermath Although many in Europe, especially the Croats and Magyar nobility, expected the Austrians to finally liberate Hungary once and for all, Leopold abandoned the campaign. Many have criticized him for this decision (both in the past and the present). Although Montecuccoli's

army was largely intact, there was no interest among the allies to liberate Hungary. Any invasion of Hungary would undoubtedly have to be done without the help of the French and German troops. Leopold noticed that the French officers had begun to fraternize with the Magyar nobles and encouraged them to rebel against Austrian rule. In addition, Leopold had always been a member of the "Spanish faction" in Vienna. With the last Spanish Habsburg, Carlos II, about to die at any given moment, Leopold wanted to ensure that his hands were free for the inevitable struggle against Louis XIV of France. Although the liberation of Hungary was a strategic interest of the Habsburgs, it would have to wait until later. Throughout his reign, Leopold had always been more interested in the struggle against France rather than the Ottomans. Therefore, he signed the humiliating Peace of Vasvr, which did not take into account the Battle of Saint Gotthard. The Battle of Saint Gotthard is still significant, however, for it stopped any Ottoman invasion of Austria, which certainly would have prolonged the war and led to an even more disastrous resolution. The Austrians would also use the twenty-year truce to build up their forces and begin the liberation of Hungary in 1683. In literature The battle of Mogersdorf/Szentgotthrd provided Rainer Maria Rilke with the inspiration to his poetic short story, Lay of the Love and Death of Cornet Christopher Rilke which was very popular among German and Austrian soldiers during the first half of the 20th century. Notes 1. ^ a b c Gza Perjs: The Battle of Szentgotthrd (1664), Vasi Szemle (Vas Review), 1964. ^ Black & Murphey, Ottoman Warfare, 1500-1700, pp.48-49 "At the battle of Saint Gotthard in August 1664 Raimondo 2. Montecuccolli, supreme commander of a Habsburg force significantly strengthened by units both from France and the Rhine confederates, still only managed to field an army of some 40,000 men." 3. ^ Wilson, German Armies: War and German Politics, 1648-1806, p. 43 "Energetic recruiting had increased Habsburg forces to 51,000 by February 1664, supported by 9,000 Hungarians, but disease and the need to garrison border fortresses reduced the combined force to 24,450 by the time Montecucolli engaged the 50,000-60,000 strong Ottoman army at the Monastery of St Gotthard on the river Raab on 1 August 1664. [...] Though 30,000 of his troops remained unengaged, the grand visier sensed the battle going against him and decided to retreat, leaving the Christians in possession of the field. Two thousand, mainly Germans, had been lost, along with similar number of fugitives. Turkish losses are not known, but were probably less." 4. ^ Cross and Crescent 5. ^ Olomouc History ReferencesWikimedia Commons has media related to: Battle of Saint Gotthard (1664) (category)

Jeremy Black & Rhoads Murphey, Ottoman Warfare, 1500-1700, Routledge, 1999. Peter H. Wilson, German Armies: War and German Politics, 1648-1806, Routledge, 1998. John P. Spielman, Leopold I of Austria (1977) ISBN 0-8135-0836-3 Charles W. Ingrao, The Habsburg Monarchy 1618-1815 (1994) ISBN 0-521-78505-7

Vas County - Hungary

Count Raimondo Montecccoli

Battle of Mogersdorf/Saint Gotthard (Szentgotthard) 1664)

Stonecross of Schsslberg, over Mogersdorf; monument of the Battle of Saint Gotthard (1664).