On October 7, 1571, a fleet of ships and men under Ottoman Empire Admiral Ali Pasha met the Christian forces under the command of Spanish Admiral Don Juan of Austria. Over 100,000 men and hundreds of ships engaged in this battle, tens of thousands died, 12,000 enslaved Christians were freed, and Don Juan’s forces prevailed, giving a boost to European hopes that they could fend off future Turkish incursions.
Lepanto was one of the greatest and most horrific naval battles of all time.
