Ottoman Algeria in Western Diplomatic History with ... - Bibliothèque

So successful was Khayreddin at Algiers that Sultan Suleyman I (r.
1520-1566), known as Suleyman the Magnificent, recalled him to
Constantinople in 1533 and promoted him to the supreme post of Kapudan
Pasha, or Grand Admiral of the whole Ottoman fleets (1534-1546). By 1538,
he was in command of over 150 galleys and galleots. By then, the Ottoman
Empire was in full control of the eastern Mediterranean and the field of
confrontations between Muslims and Christians was transferred to the western
Mediterranean. Consequently, the Algerian fleet, which became an integral part
of the Ottoman fleet, played a crucial role in the war for naval supremacy in the
Mediterranean Sea. The fleet was in fact the cornerstone that permitted Algiers
naval supremacy; it was also one two major elements, besides religion, that
shaped diplomatic relations between Algiers and the Christian powers.
Therefore, it is important to consider some aspects relating to the growth and
organization of the Algerian navy.
3. Growth of the Algerian Navy
Khayreddin Barbarossa is the true father of the Algerian Navy; the port
and first galleys he constructed were indeed the beginning of a policy which
was going to give Algiers a strong fleet. From the 1530’s onwards, the fleet
kept growing until it became a match for European fleets and then surpassed
them. In general, the naval history of Ottoman Algeria may be subdivided to
three major phases: the 16 th century was the age of the great naval battles that
pitted the Algerian fleet against the Christian fleets whether separately or as
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