 Lezo's defense of Cartagena de Indias against an exponentially larger British fleet consolidated his legacy as one of the most heroic figures in the history of Spain.He is often recognized as one of the greatest strategists in naval history.Born in Pasajes (by then still part of San Sebastián), in the Basque Province of Guipúzcoa in Spain, Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta attended school in France and commenced his naval career in the Franco-Spanish navy in 1701 as a midshipman.