Conquest of Tunis (1573)
The Conquest of Tunis in 1573 was a Spanish campaign led by John of Austria to conquer Tunis.
Background
With the victory of the Battle of Lepanto, John of Austria pushed for actions to capitalize on the Christian momentum. His first attempt to besiege Navarino in 1572 was fruitless, being forced to retire, although in its course his admiral Álvaro de Bazán captured an enemy galley commanded by a grandson of Hayreddin Barbarossa, after which they confirmed the Ottomans' mostly defensive attitude. A new grand campaign was cancelled with the disbanding of the Holy League and the negotiations between the Ottomans and the Republic of Venice, leading the Spanish Monarchy to ponder about a new conquest in Africa. Knowing the Spanish garrison in the La Goleta fort in Tunis was still besieged since the 1569 capture of the city by Occhiali, this was the chosen target.Although most of the Spanish Empire's resources were focused in the Atlantic Ocean, deeming the Mediterranean Sea was a theater free of strategic dangers after the outcome of Lepanto, Don John gathered 152 galleys, many of them Ottoman vessels captured in the battle. This would be one of the main displays of Hispanic naval power up to the point. Don John would take 104 galleys and other support vessels while Giovanni Andrea Doria stayed in Sicily with 48 galleys, guarding against possible political turmoil in the Republic of Genoa.