Ottoman Campaign in the Aegaean, 1566



A.) Prehistory

In 1565 an Ottoman force had invaded Malta and besieged the Knight's Hospitaller's fortress for 4 months. Despite a military defeat, the expedition had succeeded in frightening the christian powers.


B.) The Campaign

In 1566, an Ottoman fleet of 80 galleys under Piali Pasha (Kapudan Pasha) attacked the Genoese island of Chios and the Venetian islands (Naxos etc.); they fell easily, as little effort was undertaken by Venice and Genoa to come to their aid.
In Chios, the rule of the Giustiniani family was terminated, in Naxos that of the Dukes of the house of Crispo.

C.) The Legacy

In the Naval Battle of Lepanto 1571, the Ottoman fleet suffered a decisive defeat, again a defeat which did not result in any loss, but merely is seen as halting further Ottoman expansion. The Aegaean islands remained under Ottoman rule.
In 1595 a Tuscan expedition briefly occupied Chios.




EXTERNAL
FILES 		Article Chios, from Catholic Encyclopedia
La Storia dei Giustiniani di Scio dal 1363 al 1566, from Chios, by Enrico Giustiniani
Ducal House of Naxos and the Aegaean Islands, from Article Naxos, from EB 1911
DOCUMENTS
REFERENCE



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted on June 7th 2003, last revised on November 17th 2004

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