COMMANDING THE SEA: THE SPANISH NAVAL HIGH COMMAND IN THE EARLY MODERN MEDITERRANEAN ; Denize Hükmetmek: Erken Modern Dönem Akdeniz'inde İspanyol Donanma Komutanlığı

In: İzmir Katip Çelebi Üniversitesi Sosyal ve Beşeri Bilimler Fakültesi Cihannüma Dergisi

Abstract

The Ottoman and Spanish empires confronted each other in the Mediterranean of the 16th century as formidable sea-powers. The Spanish Monarchy completed the political union in the Iberian Peninsula with the end of Reconquista and moved its forces to the North Africa and thus eventually faced the Ottomans in the region. We should evaluate the rise of the Spanish naval organization in the context of Ottoman-Spanish rivalry. D. García de Toledo who became the Captain-general of the Sea in 1564, realized significant reforms in the Spanish naval organization and the galley fleet, thus he played an important role in the rise of the Spanish sea-power in the way to Lepanto.