SANTA CRUZ, ALVARO DE BAZAN, 1ST MARQUIS OF (1526-1588), Spanish admiral, born at Granada on Dec. 12, 1526, of an ancient family. In 1564 he aided in the capture of Velez de Gomera, was appointed in 1568 to command the galleys of Naples and was thus brought into close relations with Don John of Austria during the formation of the Holy League (1570). In the operations at Lepanto (Oct. 7, 1571) Bazan was always in favour of the more energetic course: his prompt action averted disaster when the allied line was broken. He accompanied Don John at the taking of Tunis (1572). When Philip II. of Spain enforced his claim as heir to the crown of Portugal (1580-81), Santa Cruz held a naval command. In 1583 he was sent against the prior of Crato, an illegitimate representative of the Portu guese royal family, who with his friends held the island posses sions of Portugal in the Atlantic. His victory off Terceira decided the struggle in favour of Spain. A zealous advocate of war
against England, he made to Philip, on Aug. 9, 1583, the first definite suggestion of the Armada. The King's political and financial embarrassments caused many delays, and Santa Cruz, who was to have commanded, was hindered from acting with effect. He was at Lisbon without the means of fitting out his fleet, when Drake burnt the Spanish ships at Cadiz (1587). Santa Cruz's independence of judgment finally offended the king and he was held responsible for failures and delays. He died on Feb. 9, 1588, at Lisbon. He was the designer of the great galleons which were employed to carry the trade between Cadiz and Vera Cruz in Mexico.
See C. Fernandez Duro, La Armada Invencible (1884-85, 2 vols.) ; A. Altolaguirre y Duvale, Don Alvaro de Bazcin . . . estudio historico biografico (i888) ; W. Stirling Maxwell, Don John of Austria . . . (1883, 2 vols.) .