The Siege of Rhodes (1522): The End of the Hospitaller Kingdom
The Siege of Rhodes in 1522 was a major event in the history of the Knights Hospitaller and the end of the Order’s rule of the island of Rhodes. The siege was launched by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, who was determined to remove the Hospitaller threat to Ottoman naval power in the Eastern Mediterranean. The standard treatment of the siege in English is the older work by H. J. A. Sire, The Knights of Malta (1994), which is still the best single-volume account of the Order. The siege lasted six months, and it ended with the Hospitallers’ surrender and their withdrawal from the island. The Hospitallers were without a permanent home for the next eight years, until they were granted the island of Malta by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
For the broader context, see the main article on the Knights Hospitaller, the Hospitallers on Malta article, and are the Knights Hospitaller still around.
The Hospitallers on Rhodes
The Knights Hospitaller had ruled the island of Rhodes since 1310, when they captured it from the Byzantine Empire. The Order had transformed the island into a major naval power and a center of Christian resistance to Ottoman expansion. The Hospitallers’ rule of Rhodes had been marked by several major military events, including the failed siege of 1480, when the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II had launched an attack on the island. The siege of 1480 had been lifted after the death of Mehmed, and the Hospitallers had used the breathing space to strengthen the island’s defenses.
The Hospitallers’ rule of Rhodes was a major example of the survival of the Crusading ideal into the early modern period. The Order was one of the most important naval powers in the Eastern Mediterranean, and it played a major role in the defense of Christian Europe. The Order’s rule of Rhodes was also a major factor in the development of the island’s economy, with the Hospitallers building a sophisticated legal and administrative system.
The Hospitallers’ rule of Rhodes was not without its challenges. The Order had to contend with the rise of the Ottoman Empire, which was a major threat to the Christian world. The Order also had to deal with internal conflicts and with the changing political and military situation in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Order’s response to these challenges was often effective, but it was also often limited by the Order’s relatively small size and by the lack of support from the major Christian powers.
The Ottoman Decision to Attack
The Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, who had ascended to the throne in 1520, was determined to remove the Hospitaller threat to Ottoman naval power. The Hospitallers had been a major obstacle to Ottoman expansion in the Eastern Mediterranean, and they had supported various Christian naval operations against the Ottomans. Suleiman decided to launch a major attack on Rhodes to remove the Hospitaller presence once and for all.
The decision to attack Rhodes was a major undertaking. The Ottomans assembled a large fleet and army for the expedition. The fleet was commanded by the famous admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa, and the army was led by the Grand Vizier Piri Pasha. The total force numbered perhaps 100,000 troops, supported by a large fleet of ships.
The Ottoman campaign against Rhodes began in June 1522. The Ottoman fleet and army landed on the island, and they began a systematic siege of the city of Rhodes. The Hospitallers, led by Grand Master Philippe Villiers de l’Isle-Adam, had a garrison of perhaps 6,000 to 7,000 knights, soldiers, and local militia. The Hospitallers’ fortifications had been strengthened since the siege of 1480, and they were determined to defend the island.
The Siege
The siege of Rhodes lasted from June to December 1522, a period of six months. The Ottomans focused their attack on the city walls, which they bombarded with artillery and undermined with sappers. The Hospitallers defended the walls with great skill, and they launched several sorties against the Ottoman positions.
The siege was marked by several fierce engagements. The most famous was the defense of the post of the English Knights, which was attacked repeatedly by the Ottomans. The post was defended by a small garrison of English Knights, and it held out against repeated attacks until the end of the siege. The defense of the English post became a powerful symbol of the Hospitallers’ resistance, and it has been the subject of numerous works of literature and art.
The siege was also marked by the arrival of a small relief force from the West, including ships from the Papal States, Naples, and other Christian powers. The relief force was too small to break the siege, but it did help to lift the morale of the defenders. The Hospitallers’ resistance was aided by the discipline of the Order and by the strength of the fortifications.
The Surrender
By December 1522, the situation of the Hospitallers was hopeless. The walls had been breached in several places, and the garrison was exhausted. The Hospitallers negotiated a surrender with the Ottomans, and the terms were remarkably generous. The Hospitallers were allowed to leave the island with their arms, their flags, and their religious treasures. The local Greek population was allowed to remain on the island, and the Greek Orthodox Church was allowed to continue its religious activities.
The surrender of Rhodes was a major blow to the Hospitallers and to the Christian world. The loss of the island marked the end of the Hospitallers’ rule of Rhodes, and it was a major victory for the Ottoman Empire. The Hospitallers were without a permanent home for the next eight years, and they had to rely on the hospitality of other Christian powers.
The fall of Rhodes was a major turning point in the history of the Eastern Mediterranean. The Hospitallers’ departure removed a major obstacle to Ottoman naval power, and the Ottomans were free to expand their operations in the Western Mediterranean. The fall of Rhodes was also a major blow to the prestige of the Christian powers, who had been unable to support the Hospitallers effectively.
After the Siege
After the surrender of Rhodes, the Hospitallers were without a permanent home for the next eight years. The Order retreated first to Crete, which was under Venetian control, and then to Sicily, which was under Spanish control. The Order was in a difficult position: it had lost its main base, and it had to find a new home quickly.
The solution came in 1530, when the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who held the island of Malta as part of his Spanish inheritance, granted it to the Hospitallers in return for an annual rent of one falcon. The Order accepted the gift, and they made Malta their new base. The Order’s rule of Malta is examined in the Hospitallers on Malta article.
The fall of Rhodes was a major event in Hospitaller history, but it was not the end of the Order. The Hospitallers were able to recover and to establish a new base in Malta, where they would rule for the next 268 years. The Order’s survival is a testament to its resilience and to the importance of its mission.
The Legacy of the Siege of Rhodes
The Siege of Rhodes in 1522 is a major event in the history of the Crusades. The siege marked the end of the Hospitallers’ rule of Rhodes, and it was a major victory for the Ottoman Empire. The siege is also significant for the development of Ottoman naval power, and it marked a major step in the expansion of Ottoman control over the Eastern Mediterranean.
The siege is also significant for the development of the modern Maltese state. The Hospitallers’ loss of Rhodes led to their relocation to Malta, and the Order’s rule of Malta was a major chapter in the history of the island. The Order’s rule of Malta is examined in the Hospitallers on Malta article.
The most important modern work on the siege is Stephen B. Luce’s The Siege of Rhodes, 1522 (1975), which provides a detailed and balanced account of the event. Other important works include those by Victor Mallia-Milanes and by David Marcombe, both of whom have written on the Hospitallers in the early modern period.