The Sublime Porte, despite a long period…
June 1645 CE
The Sublime Porte, despite a long period of negotiations with Venice, which last until well into 1645, and against the objections of the Grand Vizier Sultanzade Mehmed Pasha, decides upon war.
An expedition is quickly assembled with over fifty thousand troops and reputedly four hundred and sixteen vessels, under Kapudan Pasha Silahdar Yusuf Pasha, the Sultan's son-in-law.
The Ottoman armada sails from the Dardanelles on April 30, heading towards the harbor of Navarino in the Peloponnese, where it remains for three weeks.
The fleet's target is not announced, but the Ottomans, in order to allay Venetian fears, have implied it would be Malta.
The Venetians are indeed fooled by the Ottoman subterfuge and on June 23, 1645, are taken by surprise at the arrival of the Ottoman fleet at Crete.
The Venetian defenses are still in a bad state, despite the efforts of the recently appointed provveditore generale, Andrea Corner.
The island's fortifications are substantial, but they have been long neglected, and much effort is put into repairing them.