How the Ottoman Empire reclaimed the Peloponnese in just one hundred days of war.
In 1714, the Ottoman Empire launched a swift campaign to reclaim the Peloponnese from Venice. Despite Venetian fortifications, the Ottomans utilized superior numbers and naval support to secure a decisive victory. This conflict, ending in 1718, marked the final war between the two powers and fundamentally altered Venetian international standing.
The Seventh Ottoman–Venetian War, also known as the Second Morean War, began on 9 December 1714. The Ottomans were driven by a desire to reverse territorial losses from the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699, specifically the Peloponnese, which provided significant income for the Valide sultan. After a period of diplomatic isolation for Venice, the Ottomans found a pretext for war in the seizure of a merchant vessel and the sanctuary granted to the Prince-Bishop of Montenegro.
The campaign was remarkably efficient. By 25 June 1715, Ottoman forces crossed the Isthmus of Corinth. Within one hundred days, the entire Peloponnese had been re-taken. Historian Virginia Aksan described the operation as a walkover, noting that the Ottomans were willing to tolerate high casualties—such as the 14,000 soldiers killed or wounded during the nine-day siege of Nauplia—to achieve their objectives. Venice, relying on a small mercenary force and lacking the funds to sustain a prolonged conflict, proved unable to mount an effective defense.
The war shifted when Austria intervened in 1716, renewing its alliance with Venice. While this forced the Ottomans to divert resources, it did not restore Venetian control over the Peloponnese or Crete. The conflict concluded with the 1718 Treaty of Passarowitz. Although the Ottomans ceded some territory to Austria, they retained their gains against Venice. The war left the Republic of Venice effectively reduced to a Habsburg vassal, a diminished power until its final abolition in 1797.
The conflict also featured a notable defense of Corfu in 1716, led by Count Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg. Despite an Ottoman landing of 33,000 men, the defenders held the city until a severe storm on 9 August forced the Ottoman withdrawal. This event, attributed by locals to the intervention of Saint Spyridon, remained a rare bright spot for Venice in a war that otherwise signaled the end of its status as an independent actor in international politics.
Source: Ottoman–Venetian War (1714–1718)
