Why Did The Ottoman Empire Fall?

Summary

This video from Captivating History covers the rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire, which spanned from the 14th to the early 20th centuries, ruling vast regions of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. It highlights the Empire's cultural achievements, struggles with modernization, and critical events like the Renaissance, wars, and the Industrial Revolution that led to its decline. The narrative culminates in World War I and the eventual establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923.

Takeaways

• 📜 The Ottoman Empire controlled much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries.
• ⚔️ The empire ruled for nearly 600 years until it collapsed in 1922, leading to the formation of the Republic of Turkey.
• 📉 The lack of modernization and poor education were primary reasons for the empire's collapse.
• 🎨 Despite its eventual decline, the Ottoman Empire experienced significant achievements in arts, culture, science, and religion.
• 🚢 Control of major trade routes between Europe and Asia brought wealth to the empire, but the Age of Exploration reduced its dominance.
• 👑 The empire reached its height under Suleiman the Magnificent between 1520 and 1566 but began to decline after his death.
• 💸 High inflation and a weakened economy further contributed to the empire's decline, as European nations moved towards industrialization.
• 🔄 The Tanzimat Reforms (1830-1870) aimed to modernize the empire but were disrupted by rising tensions and wars in Europe.
• ⚔️ The Ottoman Empire suffered significant territorial losses in the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829) and the Russo-Turkish Wars (1676-1877).
• ⚖️ World War I marked the final blow to the Ottoman Empire, leading to its official defeat and subsequent dissolution.

Q & A

What was the time period during which the Ottoman Empire controlled significant territories?

The Ottoman Empire controlled much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa between the 14th and early 20th centuries.

What were the two primary reasons for the collapse of the Ottoman Empire?

The Ottoman Empire's lack of modernization and poor education of its people were two of the primary reasons for its collapse.

How did the fall of Constantinople in 1453 impact Europe's Renaissance?

When the Ottoman Empire took over Constantinople in 1453, scholars and artists fled to Europe, mainly Italy, bringing their ideas and helping to spark more Renaissance thinking in Europe.

Why did European countries seek new trade routes during the time of the Ottoman Empire?

European countries wanted to discover new routes because the Ottoman Empire controlled many major trade routes and imposed high taxes, which motivated the search for alternative ways to trade and explore.

What was the significance of the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 for the Ottoman Empire?

The Battle of Lepanto nearly destroyed the entire Ottoman navy, leaving the empire unable to defend its shores and waterways, which marked a significant turning point in its decline.

How did the Ottoman Empire's economy decline in the early 1600s?

The Ottomans failed to compete with flourishing countries like America, leading to a decline in trade and a weakened economy. Inflation was high, and the introduction of new precious metals resulted in an imbalance of trade between the East and West.

What efforts did Sultan Mahmud II make to recover the failing Ottoman Empire?

Sultan Mahmud II tried to recover the failing empire through military and tax collections, building roads, and repairing infrastructure in an attempt to save his kingdom.

What were the Tanzimat Reforms and what were their goals?

The Tanzimat Reforms of 1830 to 1870 were a series of government-backed reforms with political, educational, and economic changes aimed at modernizing the Ottoman Empire, based on French systems and tackling commercial and criminal law.

Why did the Ottoman Empire side with the Central Powers during World War I?

The Ottoman Empire sided with the Central Powers due to a secret treaty signed with the German Empire, which promised to strengthen the weakened Ottomans and provide Germany with a land passage and warm water ports.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 The Rise and Fall of the Ottoman Empire

This paragraph provides an overview of the Ottoman Empire's history, from its control over vast territories between the 14th and early 20th centuries to its eventual collapse in 1922. It highlights the empire's military might, cultural achievements, and the factors that led to its downfall, such as lack of modernization and poor education. The paragraph also discusses the empire's role in the trade between Europe and Asia, its missed opportunities during the Age of Exploration, and the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. The decline of the empire is traced through military defeats, economic challenges, and the impact of the Industrial Revolution in Europe versus the Ottoman Empire's stagnation.

05:00

🌍 The Ottoman Empire's Struggles and Final Demise

The second paragraph delves into the geopolitical challenges and internal strife that the Ottoman Empire faced in its later years. It discusses the empire's territorial losses to Russia and the Balkan Wars, the decision to join the Central Powers in World War I, and the significant consequences of that alliance. The paragraph also covers the internal atrocities.

Keywords

💡Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire was a powerful state that lasted from the 14th to early 20th century, controlling large parts of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa. It is central to the video's theme as it discusses the empire's rise, achievements, and eventual decline, with the script mentioning its long rule and military strength, as well as its lack of modernization leading to its collapse.

💡Modernization

Modernization refers to the process of becoming modern, especially in terms of industrialization and social progress. In the context of the video, the lack of modernization within the Ottoman Empire is highlighted as a primary reason for its collapse, contrasting with the rapid advancements in Europe during the same period.

💡Renaissance

The Renaissance was a period of cultural, artistic, political, and economic rebirth in Europe from the 14th to the 17th century. The video script discusses how the Ottoman Empire's conquest of Constantinople led scholars and artists to flee to Europe, contributing to the Renaissance, while the empire itself remained in pre-Renaissance thinking.

💡Age of Exploration

The Age of Exploration refers to the period in European history when explorers discovered new sea routes and, consequently, new lands. The video script notes that while European nations were actively searching for new trade routes, the Ottomans did not pursue exploration, which negatively impacted their future.

💡Suleiman the Magnificent

Suleiman the Magnificent was the longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, known for his military campaigns and expansion of the empire. The script mentions his rule between 1520 and 1566 as the empire's height, characterized by his absolute power and a military comprised mainly of slaves.

💡Battle of Lepanto

The Battle of Lepanto in 1571 was a significant naval battle in which the Ottoman navy was nearly destroyed, as mentioned in the script. This event weakened the empire's ability to defend its shores and marked a turning point in its military power.

💡Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period of rapid industrialization that began in Britain in the late 18th century and spread to other parts of the world. The video script contrasts the Ottoman Empire's stagnation with the European shift from an agriculture-based to an industrial-based economy, highlighting the empire's failure to adapt to these changes.

💡Tanzimat Reforms

The Tanzimat Reforms were a series of political, educational, and economic changes implemented in the Ottoman Empire between 1830 and 1870. The script describes these reforms as an attempt to modernize the empire, based on French systems, aiming to tackle commercial and criminal law, although they were ultimately overshadowed by brewing wars.

💡World War I

World War I, which began in 1914, is highlighted in the script as the final event leading to the downfall of the Ottoman Empire. The empire's siding with the Central Powers and subsequent military defeats, as mentioned in the script.

Highlights

The Ottoman Empire controlled much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa between the 14th and early 20th centuries.

The Empire ruled for nearly 600 years until World War I brought it to its knees, officially collapsing in 1922.

Lack of modernization and poor education were primary reasons for the Ottoman Empire's collapse.

During the European Renaissance, Ottoman scholars and artists fled to Europe, significantly influencing Renaissance thinking.

The Ottoman Empire gained control of major trade routes between Europe and Asia, imposing high taxes and financing its growth.

The Empire's failure to explore new trade routes during the Age of Exploration negatively impacted its future.

The height of the Ottoman Empire was under Suleiman the Magnificent from 1520 to 1566, known for his ruthlessness and absolute power.

The Battle of Lepanto in 1571 nearly destroyed the Ottoman navy, weakening its control over waterways.

The Empire's economy declined in the early 1600s due to competition from other flourishing countries and a shift in trade routes.

The Tanzimat Reforms (1830-1870) aimed to modernize the Ottoman Empire with political, educational, and economic changes.

The Ottoman Empire's lack of industrialization in the 19th century contributed to its downfall.

Following a series of Greek revolts, the Ottoman Empire lost significant territory to Greece in the early 19th century.

The Ottoman Empire lost substantial territory after the Russo-Turkish War and the Balkan Wars.

The Ottoman Empire's alliance with the Central Powers in World War I and subsequent internal issues led to its collapse.

The Armenian Genocide (1915-1922) resulted in the deaths of over 1.5 million Armenians.

The Ottoman Empire officially collapsed following the Turkish War of Independence, leading to the formation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923.

Transcripts

This video is brought to  you by Captivating History.

Between the 14th and early 20th centuries, The  Ottoman Empire controlled much of Southeastern  

Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa. It  ruled with a military force for nearly 600 years  

until World War I brought the empire  to its knees. It wasn’t until 1922  

that the empire officially collapsed, and the  Republic of Turkey was formed in its stead.  

The Ottoman Empire's lack of modernization  and poor education of its people were two of  

the primary reasons for the collapse. Still,  the empire experienced many arts, culture,  

science, and religious accomplishments  during its 600-year existence.

During Europe's Renaissance of the 14th to 17th  century, many European territories were thriving,  

with developments in arts, science, and political  thinking. These new ideas would directly affect  

the later development of the Industrial Revolution  throughout Europe. When the Ottoman Empire took  

over Constantinople in 1453, the scholars and  artists fled to Europe, the majority settling  

in Italy. These refugees would bring their ideas,  helping spark more Renaissance thinking in Europe,  

leaving the Ottoman Empire languishing  in pre-Renaissance thinking.

Trade between Europe and Asia passed through  the Ottoman Empire, so naturally, it gained  

control of many major trade routes, bringing high  taxes and helping finance the growing empire.  

Many European countries  wanted to discover new routes;  

finding alternative ways to trade and explore  became vital. The Age of Exploration marked the  

first time that the European nation searched for  and explored new routes. However, the Ottomans  

failed to pursue any new routes– and this lack of  exploration would negatively impact their future.

The Ottoman Empire’s height was between 1520 and  1566, under the rule of Suleiman the Magnificent,  

who ruled with ruthlessness and had absolute  religious and political power. His army was  

primarily comprised of slaves and had strict  military leaders – important when conquering  

new lands. When Suleiman the Magnificent  died, the Ottoman Empire began to shrink.

In 1571, the Battle of Lepanto nearly  destroyed the entire empire’s navy,  

leaving it unable to defends its shores and  waterways. In the early 1600s, the Ottomans  

had failed to compete with other flourishing  countries, such as the newly discovered America,  

leading to a decline in trade and a weakened  economy. Constantinople and other Ottoman  

cities were no longer hubs for trade, and in the  late 16th century, the Dutch and British closed  

trade routes that passed through the Ottoman  region. Inflation was high, and new precious  

metals were introduced, resulting in an  imbalance of trade between the East and West.

While Europe was moving from an agriculture-based  economy to an industrial-based one,  

the Ottoman Empire stayed with farming and  traditional trade. Favoring hand-crafted guilds  

rather than fast production set the empire  further behind than its European neighbors.

Sultan Mahmud II tried to recover the failing  empire through the military and tax collections.  

He also began building roads and repair  infrastructure in a bid to save his kingdom.  

Following his death, a collection of  government-backed reforms with political,  

educational, and economic reforms were  created (Tanzimat Reforms of 1830 to 1870)  

in the hopes that modernization would save the  empire. These reformation policies were based on  

French systems and aimed at tackling commercial  and criminal law. The Tanzimat Reforms did help  

the Ottoman Empire move into the modern age, but  unforeseen brewing wars would halt that progress.

Tension throughout Europe was rising during  the early 19th century, and the lack of  

industrialization and factories would be lead  to the empire’s collapse. European countries of  

Britain, France, and Germany had steel and iron  production, which allowed for railroads and other  

industrial goods to be created. The Ottoman Empire  would resort to paying off loans with farmed goods  

rather than precious metals - furthering them  into decline. With many Ottomans unaware of the  

internal issues that the empire was facing, most  of the society believed that their kingdom was  

superior to other nations. They saw no need for  change; they felt they were achieving the highest  

tier of society. In truth, the empire’s  size had been decreasing over centuries,  

losing key regions across Northern  Europe and the Middle East.

Following a series of Greek  revolts from 1821 to 1829,  

the Ottoman Empire and Greece  would enter an eight-year war.  

Greece received support from Britain, France, and  Russia, while the Ottoman had support from Egypt.  

The war ended with Greece earning its freedom, and  the Ottoman Empire lost a significant territory.

The Ottomans had long-standing issues with Russia,  with a series of conflicts between 1676 to 1877.  

Following the Russo-Turkish War in  1877, the Treaty of Berlin was drafted  

and created a new peace agreement between  the Ottoman Empire and Russia. The Ottoman  

Empire would lose significant territory,  including Romania, Serbia, and Bulgaria.

Following the Balkan Wars of 1912 to 1913, the  Ottoman Empire lost nearly all its European  

territory. This loss a significant massive  defeat and signified the failure of the empire.

When the first World War broke out in 1914, the  Ottoman Empire would side with the Central Powers;  

many historians agree this was the  final event that leads to its downfall.  

After the official start of the war, Enver  Pasha, the Ottoman’s Minister of War,  

would sign a secret treaty with the German Empire.

Following the Balkan and Italo-Turkish War, the  Ottoman Empire was left with depleted resources  

and soldiers. Signing a secret treaty with the  German would help strengthen the weakened Ottomans  

while also providing Germany with a  land passage and warm water ports.  

Ottoman Sultan Mehmed V wanted  the empire to remain neutral,  

but he had limited government power - his senior  advisors would push him into these agreements.  

On August 2, 1914, this treaty was signed  without a signature from Sultan Mehmed V,  

showing a stance of disagreement. On October 29,  1914 – and at the orders of Enver Pasha – the  

Ottomans officially went to war following  their naval fleet bombarding Russian ports.

While the Ottoman Empire fought alongside the  Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary,  

a more significant issue arose within the empire.  In 1915 the leaders of the Ottoman Empire created  

a plan to kill any Armenians living in the  empire. Matters between the Ottomans and  

Armenians had steamed for centuries, mainly  due to religious differences. While dealing  

with foreign affairs of World War I, internal  issues were rising between the two nations.

To make matters worse, in 1914, the Ottoman  Empire declared a holy war against Christians;  

many Armenians would fight with Russia  against the Ottomans. The Armenian Genocide  

officially began on April 24, 1915, with  the execution of nearly 1000 Armenians.  

Between 1915 and 1922, over 1.5  million Armenians were killed.

Before 1914 over two million  Armenians lived in the Ottoman Empire;  

when the genocide ended, under 400,000  remained. Simultaneously, the Assyrian  

Genocide occurred in the Ottoman Empire; about  750,000 Assyrians would die between 1914 and 1920.  

Around 750,000 Greeks living in the empire  would be killed at the hands of the Young Turks.

World War I would officially end in November 1918,  

the empire was struggling with a lack of soldiers  and resources. Nearly 14% of the entire Ottoman  

Empire’s population would die in the war, with  the highest civilian casualties of any country.  

Over five million Ottomans died during the  war; over 800,000 would be military casualties,  

and over 4 million were due to poverty,  massacres, and diseases. With the lack  

of military and wide-scale death of its people,  the Ottoman Empire was on the verge of collapse.

Following the end of World War I, the Armistice  of Mudros was signed between the Ottoman Empire  

and Great Britain – which represented the Allied  Powers. The armistice, signed on October 30, 1918,  

officially marked the defeat of the Ottomans. They  would lose control of railways, telegraph lines  

and be forced to demobilize their troops. More  significantly, the Ottoman Empire would surrender  

their remaining territory in Syria, and Palestine,  furthering their land and resources deficit. The  

Ottoman Empire took its last unofficial breath  with the overthrow of Sultan Mehmet VI Vahideddin.

With the Turkish War of Independence from 1919 to  1923, the Ottoman Empire would officially fall;  

the Treaty of Lausanne – signed on October  29, 1923 – formed the Republic of Turkey.  

This was exactly nine years after the  Ottoman Empire had entered World War I.

Many historians question whether the  Ottomans would have recovered and  

survived had they refused to enter the war. Still,  

the Ottoman Empire will be remembered as one  of the most powerful empires in world history.

To learn more about The Ottoman Empire, check  out our book, The Ottoman Empire: A Captivating  

Guide to the Rise and Fall of the Turkish Empire  and Its Control Over Much of Southeast Europe,  

Western Asia, and North Africa. It’s available  as an e-book, paperback, and audiobook.

Also, grab your free mythology  bundle e-book for free while  

still available. All links are in the description.  

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