TRENDEAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Siege · 1571
The Fourth Ottoman–Venetian War, also known as the War of Cyprus, was fought between 1570 and 1573. It was waged between the Ottoman Empire (with the Barbary States)and the Republic of Venice, the latter joined by the Holy League, a coalition of Christian states formed by the pope which included Spain (with Naples and Sicily), the Republic of Genoa, the Duchy of Savoy, the Knights Hospitaller, and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The war, the pre-eminent episode of Sultan Selim II's reign, began with the Ottoman invasion of the Venetian-held island of Cyprus. The capital Nicosia and several other towns fell quickly to the considerably superior Ottoman army, leaving only Famagusta in Venetian hands. Christian reinforcements were delayed, and Famagusta eventually fell in August 1571 after an 11-month-long siege.
| Date | 27 June 1570 – 7 March 1573 |
|---|---|
| Location | Cyprus, Ionian and Aegean seas |
| Result | Ottoman victory |
| Territorial changes | Cyprus captured by Ottomans |
| Belligerents | Ottoman Empire Barbary States | Holy League: Republic of Venice Spain Kingdom of Sicily Kingdom of Naples Papal States Republic of Genoa Duchy of Parma Grand Duchy of Tuscany Duchy of Urbino Duchy of Savoy Knights of Malta Greek rebels |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | Selim II Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Piali Pasha Lala Mustafa Pasha Müezzinzade Ali Pasha † Occhiali Sinan Pasha | Marco Antonio Bragadin Alvise Martinengo Sebastiano Venier Don John of Austria Marcantonio Colonna Giovanni Andrea Doria Giacomo Soranzo |
| Strength | 167,000–187,000 | 73,500 |
| Casualties | 70,000–75,000 killed | 15,000–20,000 killed |
Took place during the reign of Selim II (1566–1574). Selim II
The atlas records this territorial change for the year:
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), adapted for the atlas.