The Venetians were well aware of Ottoman ambitions to capture the Ionian Islands, which dated to the before the Great Turkish War.
By 1716, it was clear that Corfu would be the next target.
Preparing for the inevitable confrontation, the Venetian Senate replaced Dolfin, seen as too timid and ineffective, with Andrea Pisani, already in Corfu as Provveditore Generale da Mar.  In early 1716, Pisani disposed of 18 galleys, two galleasses and 12 galleots, 26 ships of the line, and two fireships.
In February, the Saxon field marshal, Count Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg arrived on the island as commander-in-chief of the Venetian forces.
The fortifications  of Corfu city, situated on a promontory in the middle of the islands eastern shore, had been neglected during the previous decades, as the extraordinary effort during the Morean War had left the Venetian treasury empty.
Schulenburg set about strengthening the fortifications with palisades, trenches, and field works.

The threat of an imminent Ottoman invasion led many of the inhabitants of the Ionian Islands to flee, some to Dalmatia, and others to Italy and Sicily.
At the same time, the Republic of Venice struggled to provide the funds and men required.
On the outbreak of the conflict, the Venetians had called for aid from the other European states, but apart from the Crusading orders of the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights of St. Stephen, the major European powers responded only after the loss of the Morea.
Some help began to arrive in spring 1716, as Portugal and Spain responded to Papal calls for a crusade by offering parts of their fleets for operations against the Ottomans.
More importantly, the Austrians decided to enter the war against the Ottomans.
In April, Prince Eugene of Savoy sent an ultimatum to cease hostilities and restore to Venice the territories accorded to her by the Treaty of Karlowitz, but the Ottomans rejected it and declared war in June.

In May, the Austrians warned Schulenburg that strong Ottoman forces under the serasker Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha—governor of Diyarbekir Eyalet and nephew of the namesake Grand Vizier who led the Siege of Vienna in 1683—were assembling on the mainland coast across the island.
At the same time, the Ottoman fleet under Canım Hoca Mehmed Pasha exited the Dardanelles into the Aegean.
While keeping his rowed warships in Corfu, Pisani sent his more manoeuverable ships of the line ahead, under the Capitano Straordinario delle Navi Andrea Corner, to observe the straits between the Morea and Crete for the Ottomans' approach.
Corner slowly retreated in face of the much larger Ottoman fleet until Zakynthos (Zante).
On 22 June, Pisani sent Corner to intercept the Ottoman fleet, but the Ottomans chose to bypass the straits between the Ionian Islands and the mainland and sail out into the open sea, rounding on Corfu from the northwest.
Corner was left trying to catch up with the Ottomans, following them at a few days' distance.

Passing by Zakynthos, the Ottoman admiral sent a letter demanding the island's submission, but did not otherwise divert his course.
Likewise, only small detachments were landed at Cephalonia for small-scale raids, before the fleet moved on to Corfu, where it arrived on 5 July.
The Ottomans anchored in the Corfu Channel, between the northeastern promontory of the island and the mainland, and began preparing for the siege.
In the meantime, an Ottoman army of 30,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry had gathered on the mainland shore at Butrint, ready to be ferried across the Corfu Channel by the fleet.
Along with the fleet, the Ottomans were said to field no less than 2,000 cannon for the siege.

The news spread panic on the island: the villagers fled into the fortifications of Corfu city, while others tried to flee, on whatever vessel they could find, to Otranto.
Soon the panic spread to the suburbs of the city itself, with their inhabitants also abandoning their homes to find refuge inside the fortifications.
The situation became worse when Pisani, having to confront the far superior Ottoman fleet of 62
The Venetians were well aware of Ottoman ambitions to capture the Ionian Islands, which dated to the before the Great Turkish War. By 1716, it was clear that Corfu would be the next target. Preparing for the inevitable confrontation, the Venetian Senate replaced Dolfin, seen as too timid and ineffective, with Andrea Pisani, already in Corfu as Provveditore Generale da Mar.  In early 1716, Pisani disposed of 18 galleys, two galleasses and 12 galleots, 26 ships of the line, and two fireships. In February, the Saxon field marshal, Count Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg arrived on the island as commander-in-chief of the Venetian forces. The fortifications  of Corfu city, situated on a promontory in the middle of the islands eastern shore, had been neglected during the previous decades, as the extraordinary effort during the Morean War had left the Venetian treasury empty. Schulenburg set about strengthening the fortifications with palisades, trenches, and field works.
The threat of an imminent Ottoman invasion led many of the inhabitants of the Ionian Islands to flee, some to Dalmatia, and others to Italy and Sicily. At the same time, the Republic of Venice struggled to provide the funds and men required. On the outbreak of the conflict, the Venetians had called for aid from the other European states, but apart from the Crusading orders of the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights of St. Stephen, the major European powers responded only after the loss of the Morea. Some help began to arrive in spring 1716, as Portugal and Spain responded to Papal calls for a crusade by offering parts of their fleets for operations against the Ottomans. More importantly, the Austrians decided to enter the war against the Ottomans. In April, Prince Eugene of Savoy sent an ultimatum to cease hostilities and restore to Venice the territories accorded to her by the Treaty of Karlowitz, but the Ottomans rejected it and declared war in June. 
In May, the Austrians warned Schulenburg that strong Ottoman forces under the serasker Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha—governor of Diyarbekir Eyalet and nephew of the namesake Grand Vizier who led the Siege of Vienna in 1683—were assembling on the mainland coast across the island. At the same time, the Ottoman fleet under Canım Hoca Mehmed Pasha exited the Dardanelles into the Aegean. While keeping his rowed warships in Corfu, Pisani sent his more manoeuverable ships of the line ahead, under the Capitano Straordinario delle Navi Andrea Corner, to observe the straits between the Morea and Crete for the Ottomans' approach. Corner slowly retreated in face of the much larger Ottoman fleet until Zakynthos (Zante). On 22 June, Pisani sent Corner to intercept the Ottoman fleet, but the Ottomans chose to bypass the straits between the Ionian Islands and the mainland and sail out into the open sea, rounding on Corfu from the northwest. Corner was left trying to catch up with the Ottomans, following them at a few days' distance.
Passing by Zakynthos, the Ottoman admiral sent a letter demanding the island's submission, but did not otherwise divert his course. Likewise, only small detachments were landed at Cephalonia for small-scale raids, before the fleet moved on to Corfu, where it arrived on 5 July. The Ottomans anchored in the Corfu Channel, between the northeastern promontory of the island and the mainland, and began preparing for the siege. In the meantime, an Ottoman army of 30,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry had gathered on the mainland shore at Butrint, ready to be ferried across the Corfu Channel by the fleet. Along with the fleet, the Ottomans were said to field no less than 2,000 cannon for the siege.
The news spread panic on the island: the villagers fled into the fortifications of Corfu city, while others tried to flee, on whatever vessel they could find, to Otranto. Soon the panic spread to the suburbs of the city itself, with their inhabitants also abandoning their homes to find refuge inside the fortifications. The situation became worse when Pisani, having to confront the far superior Ottoman fleet of 62 
Siege of Corfu (1716)