Álvaro de Bazán
Álvaro de Bazán y Guzmán, marques de Santa Cruz (born December 12, 1526 in Granada , † February 9, 1588 in Lisbon ) was a Spanish naval commander (Capitán General de la Mar Océano).
Life
Alvaro de Bazán came from an old Spanish aristocratic family, his father was captain general in the navy. Bazán followed the same career path as his father and soon distinguished himself. In 1543 he operated successfully with a small squadron against French privateers in the Bay of Biscay . In 1554 Bazán was appointed captain general of a squadron protecting the coasts of Northern Spain, and in 1561 he was appointed captain general of a squadron protecting the Strait of Gibraltar . Here he fought successfully against the barbarians of North Africa several times . In 1564, under Garcia de Toledo, he was involved in the capture of the Vélez de la Gomera fortress and became its first commandant.
In 1565 Alvaro de Bazán assembled a squadron in Messina with which he supported the Knights of the Order of St. John on Malta against a major Turkish attack. In 1568 he became captain general of the Spanish galleys in Naples . In 1571 he took part in the naval battle of Lepanto under Don Juan d'Austria . Bazán made a decisive contribution to the victory of the Holy League at Lepanto by intervening at the right moment with his reserve squadron. In 1573 he was involved in the conquest of Tunis , again under Juan de Austria .
In 1580, King Henry of Portugal died and King Philip II of Spain laid claim to the Portuguese throne. The Spanish fleet under Alvaro de Bazán, Marqués de Santa Cruz, conquered the port cities in southern Portugal and decisively supported the army in the conquest of Lisbon . This allowed Spain and Portugal in personal union are united under Philip II.. On July 26, 1582 and August 2, 1583 de Bazán defeated Portuguese-French squadrons in the Azores . This secured Spain's rule over this group of islands.
Due to his outstanding achievements, Bazán was now considered the most capable Spanish naval commander, he was given supreme command of the Atlantic fleet. He was instrumental in the planning and preparation of the Gran Armada's train against England . In 1587 the English privateer and later Admiral Francis Drake attacked the Spanish port, and most important assembly point for the Armada, Cadiz and destroyed the ships anchored there. The Armada's sea move had to be postponed. Because of this military disaster, Alvaro de Bazán fell out of favor with King Philip II. De Bazán died in Lisbon in early 1588.
meaning
Don Alvaro de Bazán is considered to be one of the most important and capable Spanish naval leaders. As part of the preparation for the Armada's sea expedition, however, he had neglected to completely convert the fleet from the galley tactics to the tactics of the sailing war fleets. As was customary at the time, he was kind to his subordinates, but had captive leaders executed mercilessly. Cervantes called him the "father of soldiers".
The Álvaro de Bazán class of the Spanish Navy was named after him in his honor. In Madrid, a memorial commemorates the fleet commander.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Bazán, Álvaro de |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Spanish Navy Commander (Capitán General de la Mar Océano) and Marqués de Santa Cruz |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 12, 1526 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Granada |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 9, 1588 |
| Place of death | Lisbon |