Ottoman Navy

Abstract

This article deals with the literature dedicated to the history of the Ottoman navy from the early fourteenth century up to the making of the modern Turkish Republic in 1923. The Ottoman acquaintance with the seas started following the capture of the coastal principalities along the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara. Preliminary shipbuilding facilities were established in Karamürsel and Gallipoli (1390) under Bayezid I (r. 1389–1402), which facilitated the ability of the Ottomans to march toward the Balkans and Europe with the aim of controlling the straits. After the conquest of Constantinople, a naval arsenal was established in the Golden Horn during the reign of Mehmed II (r. 1444–1446 and 1451–1481). For the security of the western Anatolian coastlines, a significant number of the islands in the Aegean Sea were conquered or made subject to Ottoman taxation. Important victories were won against Venice, and Otranto in Italy was conquered. However, real progress was made during the reign of Bayezid II (r. 1481–1512). Large warships were built and famous Turkish sea captains like Kemal Reis and Burak Reis, who were independently operating in the Mediterranean, were brought under Ottoman service. Selim I (r. 1512–1520) enlarged the Admiralty and also had many new ships built. During the reign of Suleyman I (r. 1520–1566) the power of the Ottoman navy reached its peak. The ruler of Algeria, Barbaros Hayreddin, entered the service of the Ottomans. Important wars were waged against the Order of St. John, Venice, Portugal, and the Habsburgs of Spain. Although the victories at Preveza of 1538 and at Cyprus in 1570 made the Ottoman navy an important player in the Mediterranean, the war against the Holy League was lost at Lepanto (1571). Ottoman conquest of Crete (1645–1670) gave another impetus to the Ottoman navy until the subsequent disasters starting with the one in Chesme Bay (1770). In the aftermath of Chesme, the Ottoman Empire embarked on a comprehensive reform movement during the reigns of Abduhamid I (r. 1774–1789), Selim III (r. 1789–1807), and Mahmud II (r. 1808–1839). Yet, naval disasters continued at Navarino (1827) and at Sinop (1853). During World War I, the Ottoman navy fought naval operations in the Dardanelles, which were mainly carried out against the Royal Navy with substantial support from the French navy and minor contributions from the navies of Russia and Australia. Throughout the campaign, attempts were made by submarines to pass through the Dardanelles and disrupt Ottoman shipping in the Sea of Marmara. For the sake of providing a well-balanced view of the Ottoman navy to the reader, this article is organized thematically under general categories and various subcategories.