the ottoman empire

3. INTRODUCTION
● The Ottoman Empire was founded by Osman I. As sultan Mehmed
II conquered Istanbul in 1453, the state grew into a mighty
empire.
● History of its Name
● Ottoman dynasty

4. BRIEF HISTORY
The Ottoman Empire was the one of the
largest and longest lasting Empires in history.
It was an empire inspired and sustained by
Islam, and Islamic institutions.
It replaced the Byzantine Empire as the
major power in the Eastern Mediterranean.

6. INFLUENCES AND STRUCTURE
Although the Ottoman Empire was widely
influenced by the faiths and customs of the
peoples it incorporated, the most significant
influences came from Islam.
In its structure the ruling elite reflected a
world of order and hierarchy in which promotion
and status were rewarded on merit. Thus birth
and genealogy, aristocracy or tribe became
almost irrelevant to success in the system. Only
one post, that of the Sultan, was determined by
birth.

7. WHY WAS THE EMPIRE SUCCESSFUL?
There were many reasons why the Ottoman
Empire was so successful:
 Highly centralized
 The Ottoman Empire was successfully ruled
by a single family for 7 centuries.
 State-run education system

8. ● Religion was incorporated in the state
structure, and the Sultan was regarded as "the
protector of Islam".
● State-run judicial system
● Promotion to positions of power largely
depended on merit
● United by Islamic ideology

9. ● United by Islamic organizational and
administrative structures
● Highly pragmatic, taking the best ideas
from other cultures and making them their
own
● Private power and wealth were controlled
● Very strong military

11. INTRODUCTION TO EASTERN QUESTION
• The term eastern question generally referred to the
conflicts or wars that characterized the European
continent over the Balkan areas (Eastern Europe)
that, were under the Sultan of Turkey of the ancient
Ottoman Empire.
• The European great powers of the time namely
Britain, Russia, Austria, and France had diverging
views over the states of the Turkish (Ottoman
Empire) which called for the Global concern hence
the term Eastern Question
• Specifically the term Eastern question has been
correctly used to refer to the decline of the Turkish/
Ottoman Empire and the consequences of its decline
on the European continent.

12. • The Turkish Empire was an extensive Empire that had
initially swallowed many strategic places in Eastern
Europe such as Greece and Syria, northern Africa and
Asia Minor especially between 1456 and 1800. It was
intact, strong and feared by many European powers up
to the nineteenth century when it started crumbling.
• The Turks were Muslims of Asiatic origin who had
entered Europe in 1356 and consequently conquered
Constantinople the capital of the Eastern Roman
Empire in 1853. They were aggressive and in the
course of their expansion, they conquered the peoples
of the Balkan.

13. • However, the Turkish power began declining towards
the end of the eighteenth century because of
internal and external factors. It had been evidently
clear that turkey could not satisfactorily solve all her
internal problems by herself minus the intervention
of other powers. It up on this background that the
Czar of Russia referred to the Ottoman Empire or
Turkey as “the sick man of Europe”.
• From the beginning of the nineteenth century, the
empire was characterized by civil strife, nationalistic
and religious movements among others. Such
unfortunate matters in the nineteenth century made
the czar to refer to the Ottoman Empire as “a sick
man of Europe” this called for international
intervention into the affairs of the Ottoman Empire
that affected international relations leading to the
famous Eastern Question. The question was, who was
going to take over from the Turks, when, where,
and to what extent?

14. CONFLICTING INTERESTS OF THE EUROPEAN POWERS
The powers involved, Russia, France, Britain and Austria, had various
interests with regard to the Ottoman Empire.
(a) RUSSIA. Her interests were as follows.
• Political and strategic. Russia was a land-locked state in winter
when the sea froze and blocked her ports. Hence she was anxious
to extend her power along the Black Sea and gain access to the
Mediterranean.
• Religious. Since 1774 the Tsar had had rights as protector of the
Greek Orthodox Christians.
• Racial. The Tsar considered himself the natural protector of
fellow Slavs in the Ottoman Empire.
(b) FRANCE. This country had two important interests.
• Politico-economic. Since Napoleon Bonaparte's time France had
entertained hopes of extending her power in North Africa and Asia
Minor. She therefore supported dependencies of Turkey in these
parts in their resistance to the Sultan. In 1840 her policy of
supporting Egypt against Turkey received a severe setback.
• Religious. France had treaty rights as protector of Roman Catholic
interests in the Ottoman Empire.

15. (c) BRITIAN. This country had developing interests in the
Mediterranean for commercial and strategic reasons. Britain was
determined to:
• protect the route to India;
• oppose the intention of France and Russia to dismember
Turkey. Britain preferred to see the weak power of Turkey in
control of the vital seas to the development of Russian and
French influence in Asia Minor and the Persian Gulf.
(d) AUSTRIA. Her interests in the Ottoman Empire were until the
1870s of a defensive nature. They were as follows.
• Strategic. Austria was concerned lest a strong power
threatened her by controlling part of the Danube.
• Racial and political. As a large proportion of her subjects were
Slavs they were closely akin to the peoples in the Ottoman
Empire. Therefore any demands for independence from
Turkish subjects might result in similar demands being made
to Austria from her Slav subjects.

16. Economic and social change, international
rivalry and unsolved problems combined to
unsettle the Balkans. Neither local states nor
Great Powers could control the situation.
The result was a succession of Balkan crises,
some of which had serious consequences for
Europe as a whole.

23. BACKGROUND:
CRIMEAN WAR
Russia had been expanding south for over 100 years
prior to the start of the Crimean War.
Russia’s desires to gain control of the warm water.
Russia as a protector of Orthodox Christians,
Russia hoped that Britain would take its side but
they were wrong.
Russia also regarded the Ottoman Empire as
“the sick man of Europe.”

25. BEGINNING OF WAR
In July 1853 Russia occupied the Danubian
Principalities
The Ottoman Empire was left to the threat
by declaring war on Russia on 23 October 1853.
Russians proceeded to comfortably defeat
Turkish squadron in a naval battle at Sinope, in
the Black Sea.
Britain and France’s was in favor of Turks.
Great Britain and France remained true to their
word, joining the Ottoman Empire against the
Russians.
Under such sizeable pressure, Nicholas I agreed
to leave the Danubian Principalities.

26. In September 1854 the allied forces crossed the Black
Sea and landed in Crimea.
The first major battle took place on 20 September
1854.
On this date the battle of Alma took place.
24 October 1854 in the Battle of Balaclava; it is here
that the infamous ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ took
place.
The Light Brigade was given the wrong orders,
meaning it attacked the wrong artillery battery
resulting in heavy casualties.
A lack of organization and communication blighted
the allies’ progress.
Russia to regroup ahead of the even more bloody
Battle of Inker man on 5 November 1854.

27. END OF WAR
Action was halted over the cold winter, with both
sides suffering from a lack of supplies.
The Russians gain control of the city of Kars but later
released it back to the Ottoman Empire.
The war had proven to be longer and bloodier than
expected.
Eventually, on 30 March 1856, the Treaty of Paris was
signed officially bringing an end to the war.
Russia return Kars and all other parts of the Ottoman
territory back.
Agreed to the Black Sea remaining demilitarized.
Allied forces agreed to restore the Russian towns and
ports they occupied.

29. CRIMEAN WAR – CASUALTIES
Russian
- Total of 220,000 dead: 80,000 killed in action,
40,000 died of wounds, 100,000 died of disease
British
- Total of 21,097 dead; 2,755[4] killed in action,
2,019 died of wounds, 16,000-16,323 died of disease
French
- Total of 95,000 of dead: 10,240 killed in action,
20,000 died of wounds, c.60,000 died of disease
Ottomans
- Total of 45,400 dead: 10,100 killed in action,
10,800 died of wounds, 24,500 died of disease