The 1645-1669 conflict was a long test of the limits of sea power. Venice repeatedly won or contested actions afloat without isolating the Ottoman army in Crete. Maritime superiority could not recover captured ports, sustain the island's defences, or force a political settlement on its own. The war is best followed as a problem of strategy and supply rather than a simple tally of battles.
Chapter · 0:08-1:12
The Cretan War as a test of sea power
The Cretan War shows how decisive advantages at sea could still fail to produce a political result ashore.