OTTOMAN

The Ottoman Empire’s decline began in the late 1600’s. The Decline of the Ottoman Empire [i] came due to inertia. After failing to expand and conquer further land, the Ottomans faced economic pressure as India and Europe had become lucrative national powerhouses. After barely hanging onto power for a couple more centuries, WWI was the last straw. The Ottoman’s lost over 325,000 soldiers in WWI, and another 400,000 soldiers were injured. The Ottomans sided with the Germans during their demise, and then surrendered to Great Britain in 1918. The Empire then ultimately dissolved into the Republic of Turkey in 1923.

The Ottomans had a significant history of working with their allies, primarily Austria-Hungary and Germany, as they came to assist during WWI. In November 1914, Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire. This led the Ottomans to form the Central Powers Alliance [ii] with Germany and Austria-Hungary. As for the Empire’s enemies, the Ottoman Empire faced three main rival powers [iii] throughout their history. These included the Persian Safavids, who ruled over parts of Greater Iran. This was followed by the Tsars of Russia, who threatened the Ottomans from the north, and finally, the Western Habsburgs who intimidated the Ottoman Empire from Europe.

The Ottoman Empire's influence [iv] cannot be taken lightly. As one of the longest-lasting empires of all time, the Ottoman Empire has had a profound influence on the modern world. The Ottomans greatly contributed to the world of arts and culture. After conquering Constantinople, the Ottomans turned the region into a “cultural hub” [v] of various paintings, poetry, textiles, and music. Their influence is still heavily present in all of modern day Turkey. The Ottomans also had a long history in the sciences. They are well known for providing the modern world with valuable utilities such as catheters, scalpels, forceps, and more.

The Sultan was recognized as the supreme leader of the Ottoman Empire’s centralized government. The government was known as the “House of Osman” [vi]. The Sultan had complete and total control of the empire’s provinces, security and head officials. While the majority of people in leadership positions had some prior form of service in the military, the government still contained a semblance of separation of powers [vii]. Most of the government’s executive functions were carried out by military personnel, while the civil authorities carried out judicial tasks. In general, the empire was divided into various districts with governors specifically assigned to each one.

The Ottoman Empire [viii] reigned over Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Egypt, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, some parts of Arabia, and some of the North African Coastal Strip. The Ottoman Turks [ix] were known to have a more tolerant view on freedom of religion. The empire set up a community structure that gave minority groups a limited but somewhat substantial amount of power to control their own affairs. However, the Ottomans still retained complete overall control of the area. In their more than 600 years of ruling, the Empire is most prominently known for their military, ethnic tolerance, and influential artistic ventures.

Despite their collapse after WWI, the Ottoman Empire’s strong and organized military, along with a robust centralized government, enabled the Empire to maintain power for a long time. The Ottomans [x] also left behind a deeply rich culture of achievements in the arts, sciences, and medical fields. Strong innovations in medical treatment along with the reorganization of cities into artistic hubs led to a unique legacy for the empire. The Empire also paved the way for architecture, math, and law to be introduced into the education system [xi]. The Ottoman Empire’s early innovations contributed to Turkey’s current status as a modern state.

The Ottoman Empire’s economic system was agrarian. This meant that most of the Empire’s revenue came through cultivated land and trade [xii]. This included cotton, sugarcane, rice, and tea herbs, as well as the irrigation systems of the river. The Ottoman’s economic style [xiii] was also described as labor scarce, land rich, and capital-poor. Most of the people within the empire paid around a 40% tax rate. The Ottomans usually sold goods including silk, tobacco, spices, furs, and cotton all across Arabia, Africa, and Persia. The Ottomans usually imported goods from Europe, including woolen cloth, glassware and some special manufactured goods like medicine, and gunpowder.