yaroslav
Emperor
This thread is dedicated to all the people of the Spanish Forum at Apolyton, and specially to JB, who discover me this wonderful character, Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta.
Sorry in advance for my bad English. I'll update this thread if/when I discover more things about this great men.
Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta, a Spanish hero
So many times, in English history books (and also in Spanish history books), the Spanish naval power's decadence (or even the Spanish Empire's decadence) appears to start at Invencible's defeat against England. This thread tells you a history of the Spanish Navy in XVIII century, to show that until Trafalgar Spain Naval Power was still considerable, with a men, that if American, would have be the hero of many, many films. Also, this is somewhat a tribute to the fights between England and Spain in America, a history were both side behaviour both with honor and violence. May this thread serve to English's reading people to boast their respect for Spanish Navy and Army and, also for English people, his own respect, becuase it shows how "good" foes we were.
Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta
was born in Pasajes, a town of Guipúzcoa, in the Basque Country (Northen Spain).
The war of Sucession
The last will of Charles II, altered by French agents in Spain, gave to the grandson of France's king, to be know as Philip V in Spain, the throne of the powerful Spanish Empire (Spain, Spain America, current Belgium, Naples, Sicily, and many other places around Europe). The other candidate to the Spanish crown, Charles of Austria, supported by England, Portugal, the Austrian Empire and the Netherlands started a war to claim the throne. In this war (a very insteresting war not too much studied), Blas de Lezo entered in the Spanish-French Navy. His first famous battle was the Battel of Velez-Malaga (also knew as Battle of Gribaltar) were he in a brave action, lost his left leg, but gained Admiral's praise. He was rewarded by higher positions in the Navy, and he lost his left eye against the English in the Battle of Toulon, and again, he lost his right arm in the siege of Barcelona. For all this losses, he was called sometimes half-man, or wooden-leg.
From this war is one of his more famous and brave deeds: the caputre of the Stanhope, a much bigger ship that his own.
The Stanhope was only one of the between ten and thirteen (sources differ) ships that Blas de Lezo alone captured in the War of Sucession.
The First American age
As the war of Sucession ended, Blas de Lezo was rewarded with a ship of 60 guns, Lanfranco (he was already captain of another ship), and the supreme commander of the South American Fleet, were he defeated many pirate ships. In this stance in South America, two of the most imporants fact of his life happend:
a) he married his wife in peru 1725
b) he took part in the war of 1727 when Spain fight again Dutchs and English, capturing twelve ships (6 dutchs and 6 english), worth millions.
Back to Europe
He was so admired in the Spanish Navy that he was called again to Europe, where his help was needed. His first task back in Europe was to recover money that Spain stored in the Bank of Genoa, and that Genoa refused to return to Spain. He sieged the city, and when the Senate of Genoa refused to give the money, he attacked the city and force the Senate to salute the flag and return the money.
He was also comissioned to attack the muslim pirates in Oran, with a fleet of 54 ships, leaded by the Santiago. He took the city and leave a garrison and part of the fleet, but Bay Hassan, city former muslim commander took more troops from his Turkey's allies and sieged the city, trying to regain it. When Lezo discovered it, he came to the support of the city again, forcing Bay Hassan to retreat and persecuting him until the Mostagan Bay, heavily protected (two castles and around 4,000 men). But they didn't know what kind of man Lezo was. He burned Bay Hassan's ship and heavily damaged the two castled.
Lezo mantained Oran and stopped all Istambul's attempts to retake the city, until a epidemy forced him to go back to Cadiz, but the King rewarded him just once again, he was declared General of the Navy, and, in 1737 he was sent back to America, with the ships Fuerte (Strong) and Conquistador (Conqueror), to the place where he will do his most famous deed, Cartagena de Indias.
The second American Age: Cartagena de Indias
Cartagena de Indias, in today's Colombia, was the main place for American's trade with Spain, because his position in the Caribbean Sea. Many times plunder, the city was now defended with a very strong castle (Fort-Castle of San Felipe) and was a place that England wants more than anyother in all the Kingdoms.
(Castle of San Felipe)
In 1739, the war of Jenkins' ear started as Juan León Fradiño captured the Rebbeca, ship of the captain Jenkins, that was pirating the coast of Florida. Fradiño cut one of Jenkins' ears and send him back to England with this message: "told to your King that he'll do the same to them if he'd dare to do the same thing you were doing". The war started, and admiral Vernon of England captured easily the port of Portobelo (today's Panama), with only 6 ships.
(Admiral Vernon)
Vernon, impressed by his own succeded, said that it was the time to capture the most important Spanish city - Cartagena de Indias. He joined an impressive fleet, 180 ships (The Invencible was only formed by 126 ships) with 2,000 guns and more than 28,000 men (including two thousand of Jamaicans and 2,7000 men from the American colonies, including Lawrence Washington, half-brother of George Washington). However, this was difficult to keep in secret and Cartagena was ready although with only 6,000 defenders. And the own Vermon not tried to hide it, becuase he sent offensive letters to Lezo, who replied
Had I been in Portobelo, you would have not taken so easily the place of my lord, the King, because the courage that failed in Portobelo, I've it in enough quantity..."
Vernon landed on Tierrabomba, attacking San Luis' castle. The entry point of the cities, was custodied by three batteries (Chamba, San Felipe and Santiago) and four ships Galicia, San Felipe, San Carlos and Africa. But the entry point, although heavily defended, could not sustain the continous fire of English ships, and despise the desperate Lezo's attempt to sunk his last ship, Galicia, to stop the English advance, Vernon was able to enter in the harbour and to bombard the city street by street. Lezo was wound in his last reamining arm.
Although the harbor was lost, Lezo tried to sustain the defense of the channel of Bocagrande (Big Mounth) with two ships, the Dragon and the Conquistador. But he was also force to retire to the last stronghold of the city, the castle of San Felipe.
Vernon entered in the city and sent to England notice that the city was going to fall. The English people coined inmediately medals of Victory, with image of Lezo surrending to Vernon, with gold letters "Spanish pride humilliated by Vermon" and "True British Heroes Took Cartagena"
But the castle of San Felipe was not still taken. Lezo and 600 men still resisted in the castle. Vernon bombarded the castle for many days and then, resolving that the castle was ready to be taken, ordered his men, Lawrence and the Jamaicans to launch an assault. Big error was it, because the Spanish were far from defeat, and Lezo leaded the defense. The english were unable to take the castle, and suffered heavy losses. At the dawn of the next day, Lezo orderded his men to charge with bayonets against the English, taking more than 1,000 prisioners and killing 800 englishmen.
Although the English keep the siege of the caste lor 30 days after this, the malary and other diseases crumbled the English effort (and also the Spanish's one), so English retreated.
Lezo died a few weeks after that, wounded in his reamining arm and infected by diseases. Then English never again were able to launch such a powerful attack against Cartagena (despise some Vernon efforts as soon as he learned that Lezo was dead).
Lezo's statue can bee seen in front of the castle of San Felipe:
Shall this thread be useful to remember a hero whose name is nowadays forgotten even in Spain.
Sorry in advance for my bad English. I'll update this thread if/when I discover more things about this great men.
Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta, a Spanish hero
So many times, in English history books (and also in Spanish history books), the Spanish naval power's decadence (or even the Spanish Empire's decadence) appears to start at Invencible's defeat against England. This thread tells you a history of the Spanish Navy in XVIII century, to show that until Trafalgar Spain Naval Power was still considerable, with a men, that if American, would have be the hero of many, many films. Also, this is somewhat a tribute to the fights between England and Spain in America, a history were both side behaviour both with honor and violence. May this thread serve to English's reading people to boast their respect for Spanish Navy and Army and, also for English people, his own respect, becuase it shows how "good" foes we were.
Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta
was born in Pasajes, a town of Guipúzcoa, in the Basque Country (Northen Spain).
The war of Sucession
The last will of Charles II, altered by French agents in Spain, gave to the grandson of France's king, to be know as Philip V in Spain, the throne of the powerful Spanish Empire (Spain, Spain America, current Belgium, Naples, Sicily, and many other places around Europe). The other candidate to the Spanish crown, Charles of Austria, supported by England, Portugal, the Austrian Empire and the Netherlands started a war to claim the throne. In this war (a very insteresting war not too much studied), Blas de Lezo entered in the Spanish-French Navy. His first famous battle was the Battel of Velez-Malaga (also knew as Battle of Gribaltar) were he in a brave action, lost his left leg, but gained Admiral's praise. He was rewarded by higher positions in the Navy, and he lost his left eye against the English in the Battle of Toulon, and again, he lost his right arm in the siege of Barcelona. For all this losses, he was called sometimes half-man, or wooden-leg.
From this war is one of his more famous and brave deeds: the caputre of the Stanhope, a much bigger ship that his own.
The Stanhope was only one of the between ten and thirteen (sources differ) ships that Blas de Lezo alone captured in the War of Sucession.
The First American age
As the war of Sucession ended, Blas de Lezo was rewarded with a ship of 60 guns, Lanfranco (he was already captain of another ship), and the supreme commander of the South American Fleet, were he defeated many pirate ships. In this stance in South America, two of the most imporants fact of his life happend:
a) he married his wife in peru 1725
b) he took part in the war of 1727 when Spain fight again Dutchs and English, capturing twelve ships (6 dutchs and 6 english), worth millions.
Back to Europe
He was so admired in the Spanish Navy that he was called again to Europe, where his help was needed. His first task back in Europe was to recover money that Spain stored in the Bank of Genoa, and that Genoa refused to return to Spain. He sieged the city, and when the Senate of Genoa refused to give the money, he attacked the city and force the Senate to salute the flag and return the money.
He was also comissioned to attack the muslim pirates in Oran, with a fleet of 54 ships, leaded by the Santiago. He took the city and leave a garrison and part of the fleet, but Bay Hassan, city former muslim commander took more troops from his Turkey's allies and sieged the city, trying to regain it. When Lezo discovered it, he came to the support of the city again, forcing Bay Hassan to retreat and persecuting him until the Mostagan Bay, heavily protected (two castles and around 4,000 men). But they didn't know what kind of man Lezo was. He burned Bay Hassan's ship and heavily damaged the two castled.
Lezo mantained Oran and stopped all Istambul's attempts to retake the city, until a epidemy forced him to go back to Cadiz, but the King rewarded him just once again, he was declared General of the Navy, and, in 1737 he was sent back to America, with the ships Fuerte (Strong) and Conquistador (Conqueror), to the place where he will do his most famous deed, Cartagena de Indias.
The second American Age: Cartagena de Indias
Cartagena de Indias, in today's Colombia, was the main place for American's trade with Spain, because his position in the Caribbean Sea. Many times plunder, the city was now defended with a very strong castle (Fort-Castle of San Felipe) and was a place that England wants more than anyother in all the Kingdoms.
(Castle of San Felipe)
In 1739, the war of Jenkins' ear started as Juan León Fradiño captured the Rebbeca, ship of the captain Jenkins, that was pirating the coast of Florida. Fradiño cut one of Jenkins' ears and send him back to England with this message: "told to your King that he'll do the same to them if he'd dare to do the same thing you were doing". The war started, and admiral Vernon of England captured easily the port of Portobelo (today's Panama), with only 6 ships.
(Admiral Vernon)
Vernon, impressed by his own succeded, said that it was the time to capture the most important Spanish city - Cartagena de Indias. He joined an impressive fleet, 180 ships (The Invencible was only formed by 126 ships) with 2,000 guns and more than 28,000 men (including two thousand of Jamaicans and 2,7000 men from the American colonies, including Lawrence Washington, half-brother of George Washington). However, this was difficult to keep in secret and Cartagena was ready although with only 6,000 defenders. And the own Vermon not tried to hide it, becuase he sent offensive letters to Lezo, who replied
Had I been in Portobelo, you would have not taken so easily the place of my lord, the King, because the courage that failed in Portobelo, I've it in enough quantity..."
Vernon landed on Tierrabomba, attacking San Luis' castle. The entry point of the cities, was custodied by three batteries (Chamba, San Felipe and Santiago) and four ships Galicia, San Felipe, San Carlos and Africa. But the entry point, although heavily defended, could not sustain the continous fire of English ships, and despise the desperate Lezo's attempt to sunk his last ship, Galicia, to stop the English advance, Vernon was able to enter in the harbour and to bombard the city street by street. Lezo was wound in his last reamining arm.
Although the harbor was lost, Lezo tried to sustain the defense of the channel of Bocagrande (Big Mounth) with two ships, the Dragon and the Conquistador. But he was also force to retire to the last stronghold of the city, the castle of San Felipe.
Vernon entered in the city and sent to England notice that the city was going to fall. The English people coined inmediately medals of Victory, with image of Lezo surrending to Vernon, with gold letters "Spanish pride humilliated by Vermon" and "True British Heroes Took Cartagena"
But the castle of San Felipe was not still taken. Lezo and 600 men still resisted in the castle. Vernon bombarded the castle for many days and then, resolving that the castle was ready to be taken, ordered his men, Lawrence and the Jamaicans to launch an assault. Big error was it, because the Spanish were far from defeat, and Lezo leaded the defense. The english were unable to take the castle, and suffered heavy losses. At the dawn of the next day, Lezo orderded his men to charge with bayonets against the English, taking more than 1,000 prisioners and killing 800 englishmen.
Although the English keep the siege of the caste lor 30 days after this, the malary and other diseases crumbled the English effort (and also the Spanish's one), so English retreated.
Lezo died a few weeks after that, wounded in his reamining arm and infected by diseases. Then English never again were able to launch such a powerful attack against Cartagena (despise some Vernon efforts as soon as he learned that Lezo was dead).
Lezo's statue can bee seen in front of the castle of San Felipe:
Shall this thread be useful to remember a hero whose name is nowadays forgotten even in Spain.
TW? Because CIV3
or "Los prometidos esposos" ??? 
). He does not appear like a great leader, but I studied (for my exam of "Modern History" a book on Spanish Empire ca1492 - 1714) and Olivares is better considered... I realized he wasn't a so-bad guy, but I wouldn't put him between greatest Spanish leaders neither...
