Alvaro de Bazan: Capitán General del Mar Océano

It is exceptional in the Naval History of the World for a great mariner to excel equally commanding such different vessels as galleons and galleys, in such disparate theaters as the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, and against enemies as varied as they were formidable, as Álvaro de Bazán did. It is no less remarkable that he shone equally as a great tactician and a great strategist, as a victor in purely naval battles and in amphibious operations, as effective as a subordinate and as supreme commander, besides being an excellent diplomat who cared for even the least of his subordinates, thus earning him the title of "father of soldiers" bestowed upon him by Cervantes. It is true that many great mariners have possessed many of these abilities and virtues, but what is truly exceptional is that they combined them all, as in the case of Bazán, especially considering that some seem contradictory to others, making it nearly impossible to find them all in one person. For this reason, we believe that his figure has no parallels in history. The rise of the Spanish Empire owed much to Bazán: from halting French privateers to saving Malta; from the decisive victory at Lepanto to the annexation of Portugal, which transformed Spain into the largest Oceanic Empire that ever existed. From the disaster at Los Gelves to the unfortunate end of the English Enterprise, the reader will see how even the triumphant Spain of the 16th century could suffer setbacks.