The Ottoman Empire is an Islamic military feudal empire established by the Ottoman Turks.
The Ottoman Turks are a branch of the Turkic people who originally lived in Central Asia and practiced Islam. In the early 13th century, he moved west to Asia Minor, surrendered to the Sultanate of Rum, and received a fief on the banks of the Sakarya River. In 1299 AD, the chief Ottoman I (1259 AD - 1326 AD), who proclaimed himself emir, declared his independence.
The Turks then annexed most of Asia Minor and crossed the Dardanelles Strait in the mid-14th century to expand into Europe. Murad I (reigned 1359-1389), he was renamed Sultan. By the end of the 14th century, the Turks had invaded a large part of the Balkan Peninsula. In 1453, the Eastern Roman Empire was destroyed and the capital was moved to Constantinople (later renamed Istanbul). In 1478 AD it was submitted to the Crimean Khanate. By 1517 AD, the Mamluk dynasty of Egypt had been destroyed. During the reign of Suliman I, its territory included the Balkan Peninsula, Asia Minor, the South Caucasus, Kurdistan, Syria, Palestine, parts of the Arabian Peninsula and most of North Africa, forming a large empire in the three states of Asia, Africa and Europe, reaching its peak.
The decline of the Ottoman Empire is the same as the decline of the Qing Dynasty in China! It is the ancient society that has not transformed into a truly modern society. On the issue of reform and transformation, the Ottomans did much better than the Qing Dynasty, and it completed the modernization reform. Moreover, the Ottomans were much more sober than the Rulers of the Qing Dynasty, and although Britain and France supported the Ottomans, the Ottomans did not want anything until Britain and France. Therefore, he has always hoped to get rid of the "soft hegemony" of Britain and France. But alas, I found the wrong Germany and got on the wrong ship.
(1) The Ottoman Revolution predates the Qing Dynasty, and the "Western Affairs Movement" began in the 18th century
Because the Ottoman Empire faced a more complex international situation and more frequent and fierce confrontation with the West, its internal reforms were earlier and more effective. Even after the Ottomans became Turkey, they were stronger than us in terms of industrial base and military advancement.
Ahmed III (reigned 1703-1730)
The Ottoman methods of ruling vast territories were mainly based on religion and the "Timario" system. But later, the Timma cavalry had begun to degenerate. The two minor defeats in the war against Tsarist Russia did not alert the Ottomans (see "Why the Ottoman Empire Never Won the War with Tsarist Russia" on June 20, this article is more important). However, in 1697, the Ottomans suffered a major defeat on the Battlefield of Austria. The "defeat of the mountain tower" made Turkey begin to wake up, began to learn from France, and carried out the "Turkish-style foreign affairs movement".
The Western affairs movement is essentially to learn from Western technology and surface layers, and to develop military and commercial and scientific and technological development. The Ottoman Ahmet III (reigned 1703-1730), spurred on by the "Defeat of the Mountain Tower" and the "Defeat of the Second Russo-Turkish War", began to carry out military reforms and learn from France in an all-round way. The result was a major victory in the "Third Russo-Turkish War" (1711).
(2) From 1703 to 1861, the Ottomans spent a century and a half completing the transition from antiquity to modern times
Although Ahmed III's reforms were successful, they were eventually hindered by the army because of the reform of the Tima cavalry system. He was eventually forced to abdicate in 1730. Successive sultans since then have undertaken small-scale reforms. By the time of the three sultans of Selim III (1789-1807), Mustafa IV (1807-1808), and Mahmoud II (1808-1839), the Ottoman reforms were doomed to fail.
Selim III was not accustomed to petty fighting and prepared for a "earth-shaking" reform, which resulted in a rebellion by the Janissaries imprisoning him. His cousin Mustafa IV succeeded to the throne, but the Janissaries, under the banner of supporting Selim III, rebelled in 1808. Mustafa IV immediately ordered the killing of Selim III, and later Mahmoud II, his cousin, and Mahmoud II escaped. Mustafa IV had to abdicate.
Mahmoud II began radical reforms, and his successor Sultan Megid I (1839-1861) continued to integrate into European reforms.
Selim III
Finally, on March 30, 1856, it was recognized as a European country at the Paris Conference. In the "Ninth Russo-Turkish War" this year, Turkey won an unprecedented victory, and Russia almost spit out most of the "fruits of victory".
(3) During the Ottoman reforms, the Sultan was well aware of the purpose of the British and French help
Although the Ottomans completed the modernization transformation, the problem was that the Ottoman reform was under the condition of losing internal control (the army held fundamental power), and Britain and France controlled the reform ideas.
The relationship between them is contradictory, the British and French control you and help you, in order to make it resist Russia, and there is no hope for the ottoman resurrection! The Ottoman side is also very clear about this.
Therefore, the empire has always wanted to introduce new forces. Then Germany came! Again, Osman found the wrong teammate.
There are many reasons for its demise, but the main reason for the demise of the Ottoman Empire is that the Sultans were ruled by feudal absolutism, supplemented by the Grand Vizier (Prime Minister). By the 17th and 18th centuries, he had repeatedly failed in wars with Austria and Russia, and his power had declined. In the early 19th century, the national liberation movement in the territory arose, and the balkan countries declared independence; Britain, Russia, France, and Austria stepped up their struggle for imperial territory, and foreign troubles continued. In World War I, he fought on the allied side and failed. After the war, he was repeatedly slaughtered by the great powers, and the bourgeois revolution led by Kimal also broke out in the country.
By 1922, the new government deposed the last sultan and the Ottoman Empire came to an end!