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Title: Lepanto 1571 (Campaign, 114) by Angus Konstam, Christa Hook, Tony Bryan ISBN: 1-84176-409-4 Publisher: Osprey Pub Co Pub. Date: February, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (1 review)
Rating: 4
Summary: The High-water Mark for Islam
Comment: Modern readers accustomed to reading about Western military interventions in the Mideast should take time to consider the other swing of the pendulum. Osprey's Campaign #114, Lepanto 1571, is an excellent introduction to a time when Islam literally wielded a knife at Christian Europe's throat. Written by naval expert Angus Konstam, Lepanto 1571 is a clear and concise account of one of the most decisive naval battles ever fought, and one that also marked the high-water mark for Islamic aggression. Konstam does an excellent job detailing the various factors of strategy, leadership and ship design that resulted in this epic clash off the west coast of Greece.
Lepanto 1571 begins with a short introduction and a campaign chronology. The sections on opposing commanders, opposing fleets and orders of battle cover thirteen pages. The section on opposing plans is quite good, followed by 17 pages on the early phases of the campaign and 39 pages on the battle itself. The maps are one of the strong suites in this volume and they comprise five 2-D maps (strategic situation in 1570-1571, the Cyprus campaign in 1570, the advance to Lepanto, the fleets close, the morning of Lepanto) and three 3-D "Birds Eye View" maps of the Battle of Lepanto. The three battle scenes (the battle lines close, the Venetian galleasses break up the Turkish line, and the flight of Uluch Ali) are decent - particularly for illustrating the colorful paint schemes of the galleys on both sides - but not great. It is also apparent that the author has done his research well on this subject and the bibliography is more than adequate for a volume this size.
Konstam notes that it was the diplomatic intervention of Pope Pius V that resulted in the creation of the Holy League - an alliance of Spain, Venice, Genoa and other Christian states - that was the only "force capable of standing up to the Turks." Without this Papal involvement (which included 15% financing and troops), the Turks would have picked off the Christian states piecemeal. Even so, the League was always tenuous and threatened to fall apart on the eve of battle. After the victory at Lepanto at the death of Pope Pius V, the League did indeed disintegrate. Lepanto 1571 is a fine example of the problems of coalition operations even when faced with a dire threat.
It is also apparent that even by 1571, Islam was beginning to fall behind the West militarily. Konstam notes that the six large Venetian galleasses "in the Christian fleet virtually amounted to a secret weapon, and represented the ultimate development of the oared warship." Indeed, the allies were so confident about the galleasses that they deployed them as an advance guard in front of the main battle line and these heavily armed ships were critical in disrupting the Muslim attack. It is also interesting that the allied fleet, under Don John, based its plan on firepower rather than maneuver. Although the rival fleets were equal in size, the Christians had 200 more guns than the Muslim fleet and they made it the centerpiece of their tactical plan. Indeed, Don John ordered all wooden rams to be removed prior to the battle in order to give the guns better fields of fire. While the Christians put their faith in artillery fire, the Muslim plan was based on maneuver. The Muslim fleet had a number of smaller, more maneuverable craft and they hoped to use these to envelope the Christian battle line. However, Muslim scouts erroneously reported that the Christian fleet was only about half its actual size and thus their fleet was committed to battle on the false assumption of numerical superiority.
Konstam also does an excellent job portraying the ferocity of the Turkish war machine in the 16th Century, when Islam was a dangerous and aggressive force. As a prelude to the Lepanto campaign, the Turks invaded Christian-held Cyprus in 1570; when the city of Nicosia fell after a brief siege, the Turks slaughtered virtually the entire Christian population of 20,000. The city of Famagusta held out for nine months and only surrendered when the Turks agreed to spare the garrison and civilians. Instead, the Turks abrogated the terms and massacred the unarmed Venetians. The Venetian commander was flayed alive in the town square. Throughout this period, the Turks were brutal aggressors and Europeans suffered many defeats at their hands. Indeed, it is amazing how this period of Islamic aggression - which lasted for centuries - is now conveniently forgotten by Muslim politicians in the Mideast who constantly denounce "Western aggression."
Lepanto was a tough fight, with 85% of the Turkish fleet lost and 30% of the victorious Christian soldiers and sailors killed or wounded. Although the Turkish tactical maneuvers almost upset the European battle plan, it was Christian gunnery and the courage of desperation that led to the final result. Konstam notes that while the Muslim setback in 1565 had been troubling, that it was not until the catastrophe at Lepanto that Islamic aggression in the Mediterranean was permanently contained.
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