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

Spanish mobilized Christendom and launched a series of crusading expeditions
which caused Algiers to develop its navy and adopt corsairing as a means for
thwarting those aggressions. From then onwards, Algiers strengthened its fleet
and turned it into a formidable striking force that retaliated forcibly and
effectively against Christian assaults.
After the crashing defeat of its expedition of 1541, Spain shifted interest to the
New World and did not reappear in the Mediterranean until about two centuries later.
Although Spain ceased sending expeditions against Algiers, warfare continued
on the high seas; but in 1732 it renewed with conquest of Algerian cities and
re-took control of Oran. Meanwhile other European countries—powerful and
lesser powerful—joined into the chorus but to no avail. Algiers resoluteness to
stand up to Christian assaults won it the reputation of the ‘invincible city.’ At
the end, Algiers survived to three centuries of pressures, intimidations, blockades,
cannonading, and attempts of invasion and consolidated its position as a
Mediterranean power that inspired both fear and respect but also hatred. That hatred
found expression in a variety of distortions featuring Algerian corsairs as inveterate
pirates that had to be exterminated. By doing so, Christian countries legitimated their
aggressions against Algiers. Prevailing laws and practice, however, while outlawing
piracy, gave corsairing and corsairs legitimacy.
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