Malta which was defended by only 7,000 knight monks led by Jean
la Valette; the Turkish siege of three fortresses lasted for four
months; Ottoman losses during the campaigned reached 30,000;
when Spanish reinforcements of 7,000 finally arrived only 600 of
the original defenders were left; exhausted, the Turks then
abandoned the siege.
Lepanto (1571): continued Ottoman aggression in the eastern
Mediterranean led to the capture of Cyprus in 1570 and the
massacre of all the Christian inhabitants of Nicosia and Famagusta;
under the auspices of Pope St. Pius V an alliance of Spain, Venice,
Genoa, the Papal States and Knights of Malta was effected in May
1571; Don Juan of Austria was appointed commander-in-chief of
the Christian forces; the Pope ordered all convents and monasteries
in Rome to pray for the coming battle; Pius V himself fasted three
days a week and prayed hours every day; Mass and Holy Rosary
were said on every ship each day; the battle was joined with the
Turkish fleet under Ali Pasha in the Strait of Corinth; the din of
noise on the Ottoman ships contrasted with the silence, prayer and
absolutions on Christian ships; losses––7,500 Christians killed, 12
ships lost; 30,000 Turks killed, 8,000 taken prisoner; 225 Turkish
ships sunk or captured; 15,000 Christian galley slaves freed; Ali
Pasha was captured and beheaded; St. Pius V was told
miraculously of the victory which was confirmed two weeks later
by courier; the Pope attributed the victory to Our Lady Help of
Christians and added this invocation to the Litany of Loreto and
decreed October 7th the Feast of Our Lady of Victory.
Vienna (1683): 200,000 Turks were camped outside Vienna under
the command of the Grand Mustapha; only 10,000 Christian troops
remained in Vienna as defenders; Mustapha decided to starve out
the city; meanwhile, two armies, one from Poland (under King
Sobieski) and one from Lorraine were advancing towards Vienna
to give added strength to the defenders; on 12th September 1683,
these two armies, numbering 45,000 men, descended on the
surprised Turks; the Catholic armies now possessed greater
discipline and determination, and by the end of the day the Turks
had fled; on hearing the news of victory, Bl. Pope Innocent XI
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