the war in which the Ottomans Turks had wrested Cyprus from Venice,
the Venetians pursued a steadfast policy of never giving the Turks cause
for renewed hostilities. The peril to her other Mediterranean territories,
especially the enormously valuable island of Crete, was all too obvious.
the Knights of St. John, based on Malta, seem to have felt no such
compunction, and they frequently seized Turkish ships in acts of piracy
rationalized as religious warfare. After one such incident in late
1644 the Knights attempted to land their loot and prisoners at Crete.
For the Turks, this fact alone was all the evidence needed to prove
that Venice was the true villain. In June of the following year, the
Turks launched a massive invasion of Crete.
The first thrust
of the Turkish campaign was directed at capturing the port cities
of Canea and Suda. By the summer of 1647 the Turkish forces were laying
siege to the capital city of Candia. Incredibly, that siege was to
last for 22 years, becoming one of the most celebrated military engagement
of the 17th century. Throughout the period, the Venetian fleet scored
important victories at sea, extending into the throat of the Dardanelles.
None of those
heroics ever succeeded, however, in effectively cutting off supplies
to the attacking Ottomans. Their siege continued inexorably year after
year. The European powers marvelled at the Venetian defense, but never
united in concerted assistance. Finally, the end came with surrender
of Candia in September 1669.