The overlooked weight of Ottoman and Venetian naval power

Why is the Ottoman Navy's nineteenth-century importance so rarely discussed despite its size?

The Ottoman fleet was capable but is often obscured by land-centered history, much as Venice's useful navy is overlooked in accounts of Napoleon's seizure of the republic.

The nineteenth-century Ottoman Empire possessed a capable armed force even though its navy receives little attention in familiar accounts. The comparison is Venice during the Napoleonic era, when the Venetian navy remained a force that could potentially assist the Royal Navy. That possibility helps explain why Napoleon had reason to neutralize Venice beyond defeating its land forces. Both examples show why land-centered narratives should be tested against fleets that could alter coalition strategy and access to the Mediterranean.