Venice's galley advantage becomes technological lock-in

Galleys remained valuable in the Mediterranean because oars offered predictable movement when wind was weak. Naval warfare nevertheless shifted away from close engagement toward heavier artillery drill, and sailing men-of-war, ships of the line, and frigates became more important. Venice tried to sustain its galley force while also building the newer sailing fleet. Its large stock of quickly mobilized galleys and the infrastructure built around them had once been major advantages. As technology and rival empires changed, those sunk investments made adaptation harder and helped reduce Venice from a leading Mediterranean power to a lesser one.