Martín Alonso Fernández de Córdoba Montemayor y Velasco, conde de Alcaudete facts for kids

Martín Alonso Fernández de Córdoba Montemayor y Velasco (who died in August 1558) was an important Spanish nobleman. He was the first Count of Alcaudete. He also served as the Viceroy of Navarra and the governor of Oran.

Martín Alonso's Family and Children

Martín Alonso was the son of Fernández de Córdoba y Montemayor. His mother was María de Velasco. He married Leonor Pacheco. She was the daughter of Diego Fernández de Córdoba y Arellano, 1st Marquis of Comares.

Martín Alonso and Leonor had several sons:

• Alfonso (1512-1565) became the next Count of Alcaudete.
• Diego (who died in 1558) became a Bishop.
• Martín (1520-1604) later became Viceroy of Navarra. He also served as Governor of Oran, just like his father.
• Francisco became a knight in the Order of Calatrava.

Martín Alonso's Important Career Roles

Martín Alonso held several important positions during his life. In 1523, he was the corregidor (a type of local governor) of Toledo.

Serving as Viceroy and Governor

From 1527 to 1534, he was the Viceroy of Navarra. This meant he was the king's representative in that region. In 1534, he was named Governor of Oran. Oran was a Spanish military base in North Africa.

Battles and Expeditions in North Africa

Martín Alonso led several military actions from Oran. These were often against Ottoman forces or local tribes.

Attack on Tlemcen (1535)

In 1535, Martín Alonso attacked the city of Tlemcen. This city was controlled by the Ottoman Empire. He led 600 men and worked with a local tribe called the Banu Amir. Their goal was to replace the current Sultan of Tlemcen with his younger brother.

However, another tribe, the Banu Rashid, fought against them. Martín Alonso's Spanish forces were surrounded at the Tibda fortress. Most of his men were killed. Only 70 soldiers were taken prisoner.

The Algiers Expedition (1541)

Around 1538-1540, Martín Alonso tried to convince Hasan Agha to switch sides. Hasan Agha was a deputy of the famous Ottoman admiral, Hayreddin Barbarossa. This effort failed.

This failure led to the big Algiers expedition in 1541. Emperor Charles V himself led this massive attack. Martín Alonso and his soldiers from Oran joined the fight. The Spanish hoped bad autumn weather would stop Ottoman help from arriving. But the storms were too strong, and the city fought back hard. Charles V had to retreat after three days. His forces suffered huge losses, and he almost got captured.

Attempts to Take Mostaganem

Martín Alonso also led Spanish attacks against the city of Mostaganem. These attempts happened in 1543 and 1547. Both times, the Spanish forces were pushed back. Turkish and tribal forces chased them as they retreated.

Final Battle and Death (1558)

Martín Alonso joined the last Spanish attempt to take Mostaganem in 1558. This was known as the Expedition of Mostaganem. He had asked for support from Juana, Princess of Portugal, for this mission.

He led troops from Málaga and Cartagena. They joined other Spanish soldiers and their Moroccan allies in Oran. Martín Alonso left his oldest son, Alfonso, in charge of Oran. During the battle, Martín Alonso's forces were overwhelmed. He was tragically trampled to death by his own soldiers.

His son, Martín, was wounded and captured in the same battle. He was taken prisoner in Algiers. In 1559, he tried to start a revolt among Christian slaves, but he was betrayed. Many slaves were executed. Martín was finally released in 1561. His brother Alfonso paid a very large ransom of 23,000 escudos to free him.

See also

In Spanish: Martín Alonso Fernández de Córdoba Montemayor y Velasco para niños