the mediterranean of 1793 was dominated on its eastern shores by the ottoman empire, which controlled greece and anatolia, the levant and, through client states, the important north african nations of tunis, algiers and egypt. the ottoman empire was ostensibly neutral in the conflict, but it had importance as a major international trading partner, while its north african cities maintained large pirate fleets which preyed on ships of all nations. in the adriatic sea the only opposition to the ottomans came from the small navy of the republic of venice, while elsewhere the italian peninsula was divided between a number of independent states, dominated in the north by the austrian empire, and controlled in the south by the kingdom of naples. on the northwestern coast there were the kingdom of sardinia, the republic of genoa and the grand duchy of tuscany. although naples retained a small fleet, none of the italian states were notable sea powers; their importance lay in their ports and commercial strength in the western mediterranean. the regional powers in the west were france, which maintained a large fleet at the fortified port of toulon, and the kingdom of spain. within this region the islands of corsica, french-held but with a rebellious population, and spanish minorca, were significant naval assets. the spanish maintained a large fleet, which in 1793 was in a high-state of readiness for operations, but had allowed organisation and infrastructure to deteriorate in the preceding years through a lack of investment. the spanish were reluctant allies of britain, with resentment over the recent nootka crisis still widespread.