On 7 October 1571, the Battle of Lepanto was fought between the Holy League under Don John of Austria against the Ottomans under Muezzinzade Ali Pasha during the Ottoman-Habsburg Wars.
Why did it happen?
After the capture of Constantinople in 1453, the Ottoman Empire sought to extend its dominion over the Mediterranean. During the sixteenth century, the Ottomans became the dominant naval power in the eastern Mediterranean and the seas around North Africa. However, after the death of Suleiman the Magnificent in 1566, the Ottoman Empire came under the rule of a succession of weak Sultans while real power devolved to its generals and admirals. In 1570, the Ottomans attacked Cyprus, leading Pope Pius V to organize a Holy League of Spain, Austria, Genoa, and Venice under Don John of Austria to aid the island. By the time the fleet set sail from Sicily on 16 September 1571, Cyprus had already fallen to the Ottomans. Passing Scropha Point towards the Gulf of Patras, the Holy League encountered the Ottoman fleet under Ali Pasha on 7 October.
Who was involved?
The Holy League navy at Lepanto numbered 212 warships: 206 galleys and 6 galleasses. The Holy League fleet was arrayed in four lines: Agostini Barbarigo commanded the left wing of 53 galleys and 2 galleasses; Giovanni Andrea Doria led the right wing with 53 galleys and 2 galleasses; Don John himself led the centre, which consisted of 70 galleys and 2 galleasses while Marquis of Santa Cruz held 30 galleys in reserve. The Ottoman navy at Lepanto numbered 230 warships: 166 galleys and 64 galliots. Like the Holy League, the Ottoman fleet was arrayed in four lines: Ulugh Ali led the left wing with 61 galleys and 29 galliots; Mohammed Sirocco commanded the right wing with 54 galleys and 2 galliots; Ali Pasha himself commanded the centre with 43 galleys and 8 galliots while Pertev Pasha held 8 galleys and 25 galliots in reserve.
What happened?
As the Ottoman right wing attempted to outflank the Christian left wing near the shore, the Venetian galleasses opened fire with their cannon, which allowed the Holy League’s galleys to pin the Ottoman galleys against the shore. At the same time, as the Holy League’s right wing advanced, the galleys moved to the right to counter the Ottoman’s left wing’s flanking manoeuvre. As a dangerous gap opened between the Holy League right and centre, Don John ordered his reserves to fill in the gap in the Holy League line before the Ottomans could exploit it. Hand-to-hand fighting raged as the galley’s crews attempted to board each other as both sides' galleys intermingled in the centre. At one point, both the Holy League and Ottoman flagships were boarded, with Ali Pasha being killed. On seeing the death of their commander, the Ottoman centre collapsed, followed by the withdrawal of the Ottoman left wing. Throughout the battle, the Holy League lost 7,566 killed and 13 warships sunk, while the Ottoman losses amounted to 20,000 killed and 180 warships sunk or captured.
What changed as a result?
The Battle of Lepanto was a Holy League victory. Historians widely see the battle as the last great naval battle fought between oared galleys before the rise of sailing ships. However, despite freeing 15,000 Christian slaves, the Holy League failed to capitalize on its victory. Indeed, the Ottomans hastily constructed a new fleet of galleys to replace the ones lost at Lepanto, and when the Venetians signed a peace treaty in 1573, the Holy League lost its prime benefactor. The real significance of the Battle of Lepanto seems to have been its psychological impact on Christian Europe. As stated by Angus Konstam, “Until Lepanto the Turkish fleet was seen as invincible. Even the defeat at Malta in 1565 failed to make a significant dent in Turkish military and naval prestige – Lepanto shattered this illusion of invincibility” (Konstam, 2003, p.90).
Bibliography
Grant, R.G. Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5,000 Years of Combat. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2005.
Grant, R.G. Battle At Sea: 3,000 Years of Naval Warfare. New York, Dorling Kindersley, 2008.
Konstam, Angus. Lepanto 1571: The greatest naval battle of the Renaissance. Oxford, Osprey Publishing, 2003.
Regan, Geoffrey. Battles That Changed History: Fifty Decisive Battles Spanning Over 2,500 Years of Warfare. London, Andre Deutsch, 2002.
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