Who was the most infamous admiral in history?Alex Turner·November 26Medievalist, lover of European history
My vote for the most infamous admiral in history goes to this man:
Hayreddin Barbarossa (1478–1546)
Known simply as Barbarossa, he was born on the Greek island of Lesbos around 1478. His father was a Turkish cavalryman of Albanian origin, and his mother was a Greek Orthodox Christian. His birth name was Khizr.
Growing up, Khizr and his older brother Oruc sailed the Mediterranean Sea under privateering contracts to counteract Knights Hospitaller naval actions in the area. Khizr eventually had control of his own ship, and he and Oruc became known for their seamanship in the Aegean Sea.
In the early 1500s, Khizr and his brother Oruc and younger brother Ilyan were returning from a trading trip from Lebanon, where on their way back home to Greece, they were attacked by Knights Hospitaller ships. Ilyan was killed, Oruc was captured and imprisoned, and Khizr barely managed to escape.
The very next year, Khizr helped his brother escape from prison, and Khizr and Oruc began to captain large fleets for the Ottomans against Italian and Hospitaller vessels in the Mediterranean. Their fame grew, and so did their notoriety; they even gained the attention of the Pope after they captured two Papal vessels off the coast of Italy.
A Western depiction of the two brothers, Khizr and Oruc.
At this point in their careers, Khizr and Oruc began to focus on capturing, plundering, and skirmishing with Spanish vessels in the Mediterranean Sea. Spain was extremely powerful at the time, and it was renowned for its naval might.
In 1515, the two brothers captured eleven ships in a battle off the coast of Spain. They sent these and its precious cargos back to the Ottoman Sultan at the time, Selim I. In return, Selim gave the two brothers each a sword encrusted with diamonds. Khizr and Oruc were truly the Sultan’s favorite admirals.
In 1516, Khizr and Oruc further expanded their fame as well as the Ottoman Empire, by capturing the Algerian capital city of Algiers, and then the entire kingdom of Algeria, which Sultan Selim annexed to the Ottomans. In return, Selim appointed Oruc to be governor of Algeria, as well as Chief Sea Governor of the West Mediterranean. Fancy title.
With his brother preoccupied with his new posts, Khizr struck out on his own with massive Ottoman fleets bestowed upon him. Now, he was no longer Khizr, but Barbarossa. He and his brothers, due to their red beards, were known as the Barbarossa brothers from this point on.
In 1518, Oruc was killed in battle in Algeria, defending his province to the last against the Spanish. Khizr, now Barbarossa, inherited Oruc’s titles and governorship, and became more powerful than ever.
In 1520, Sultan Selim died and Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent took his place. Suleiman thought Barbarossa was a military genius, and continued to fund his attacks against the Spanish in the 1520s and 1530s. Barbarossa aggressively raided the Spanish and Italian coasts, and struck fear into the hearts of sailors in the Mediterranean.
In 1538, a massive Holy League alliance was formed throughout all the Christian powers of the time, including the Papacy, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, Venice, and Malta, to combine the might of the Ottoman Empire. In what is now called the Battle of Preveza, they sent a combined massive fleet against the largest Ottoman fleet, commanded by Barbarossa, and of course, Barbarossa sailed away the victor.
Aging, rich, infamous, and nearly undefeated in battle, Hayreddin Barbarossa retired in 1545 to Istanbul, where he was given a massive palace to reside in. He died in 1546, much to the relief of the West. This man is one of the greatest admirals in history, and due to the sheer terror he imposed upon his enemies and his impeccable record, I think he’s probably the most infamous of them all.
Another Western painting of Barbarossa. The trident is meant to symbolize sea power, which he had plenty of.