Who were Spain's best admirals between 1492 and the Spanish Civil War?
Short answerÁlvaro de Bazán, Marquis of Santa Cruz, and Federico Gravina are the strongest names offered, with later judgments complicated by patronage and bad force assignments.
NotesÁlvaro de Bazán, Marquis of Santa Cruz, and Federico Gravina are the preferred candidates for Spain's strongest admirals in this period. Medina Sidonia receives credit for doing his best, but Santa Cruz is considered the stronger choice to command the Armada. Extending the ranking is difficult because the other officers recalled are judged competent rather than exceptional. Spain also employed and naturalized foreign officers, complicating a list defined by nationality. By the Spanish-American War, political favorites could receive good ships while capable officers inherited poor forces, so defeat alone is a weak measure of an admiral's ability.