[extropy-chat] POLITICS: terrorism and strategies

[scerir]

It is a long story. 'Ottomans', muslims, were
here, exactly here in the Adriatic Sea (or lake),
and they were terrible! But ...

Lepanto, Oct. 7, 1571.
Naval battle between the Christians and Ottomans
fought at the mouth of the Gulf of Patras, off
Lepanto, Greece. The fleet of the Holy League
commanded by John of Austria (d. 1578) opposed
the Ottoman fleet under Uluç Ali Pasha.
The allied fleet (about 200 galleys, not counting
smaller ships) consisted mainly of Spanish, Venetian,
and papal ships and of vessels sent by a number
of Italian states. It carried approximately 30,000
fighting men and was about evenly matched with
the Ottoman fleet. The battle ended with the virtual
destruction of the Ottoman navy (except 40 galleys,
with which Uluç Ali escaped). Approximately 15,000
Turks were slain or captured, some 10,000 Christian
galley slaves were liberated, and much booty was taken.
The victors, however, lost over 7,000 men.
Among the allied wounded was Cervantes, who lost the use
of his left arm. Lepanto was the first major Ottoman
defeat by the Christian powers, and it ended the myth
of Ottoman naval invincibility. It did not, however,
affect Ottoman supremacy on the land, and a new Turkish
fleet was speedily built by Sokollu, grand vizier
of Selim II. Nevertheless, the battle was decisive
in the sense that an Ottoman victory probably would
have made the Ottoman Empire supreme in the Mediterranean.


      Don John's hunting, and his hounds have bayed-
      Booms away past Italy the rumour of his raid.
      Gun upon gun, ha! ha!
      Gun upon gun, hurrah!
      - G. K. Chesterton, 'Lepanto'
http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Alley/5443/leppoem.htm

The naval battle, maps, etc.
http://www.nafpaktos.com/battle_of_lepanto.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Alley/5443/lepanto3.htm