Six Reasons Why the Ottoman Empire Fell

History ^ | PATRICK J. KIGER

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks nickcarraway. The Otttoman Empire was a mostly contiguous, land-based empire; the other two -- the Russian and Chinese -- fell apart as part of the worldwide turmoil that culminated in the 1st WW.

The far-flung empires of some of the European powers had been enabled by large fleets, and tottered on for another generation. Although obviously the Spanish empire had lost most of its holdings with the independence of its South- and Central American holdings in the early 19th century, its most important overseas territories were taken during the Spanish-American War, which was part of that late 19th-early 20th worldwide turmoil.

Otto von Bismarck, who put together the modern German state, was the great diplomatic and political genius of the 19th century. His treaty system diplomatically isolated France (which had been the dominant power in Europe for centuries) and set up cooperative efforts (Germany, Russia, other European powers) to dismantle the Ottoman Empire. He also managed to lay the groundwork for the Berlin-to-Baghdad railroad, which required Ottoman participation, and if memory serves, Germany even got the British to build part of it.

[mrsmith]

Lot in what you said.
Still, the Ottoman Empire was based upon the buying and selling of slaves, and couldn’t survive without that economic foundation.

[Berosus]

I would add corruption of the sultans to the above list. Up until 1600, the Ottoman Empire was the most efficient state Islam had ever produced. Part of the reason for this was a law that required every sultan coming to the throne to murder his brothers, so there wouldn’t be any dispute over who was the rightful ruler. That worked until Mohammed III became sultan in 1595, and all nineteen of his brothers were strangled. After that, the authorities figured there must be a way to ensure a smooth succession without a bloodbath. From then on, all princes were kept isolated in different parts of the imperial palace, the Topkapi Saray, so they wouldn’t plot against each other, while the crown prince was locked up in a two-story tower called the Cage. Here the crown prince stayed until he were either called to the throne, or until somebody ended his miserable life. If a sultan was deposed, he would usually be returned to the Cage, too. Some heirs died of old age here, and at least one ex-sultan and one heir committed suicide in the Cage.

The last sultan, Mohammed VI, endured the longest prison sentence of all; he was fifty-six years old when he became sultan, and up to that point he had spent his whole life in the harem and the Cage. In the Cage, the prince’s only companions were deaf-mute servants—mutilated so that they could neither hear nor tell secrets—and just enough concubines to keep him busy. Consequently when the sultan came out and was crowned, he had no experience running the nation. In addition, their bodies and minds had stagnated for up to half a lifetime, so it’s no surprise that most of the latter sultans were incompetent.

[nwrep]

One has to beware of the difference between a nation and an Empire. The Ottoman Empire was always an Empire comprised of a patchwork of regions, it never coalesced into a nation.

[Bob434]

I’m pretty sure it was Trump’s fault=-

[Jolla]

full of Muslims

Had a good visit to Istanbul, a serious Turkish bath is a very nice experience. The country was even better in the rear view mirror though, not a nice group of folks unless you are handing over money to their business.

[Fai Mao]

The Portuguese found another route to India and China. That cut off the Ottoman profit from pepper, silk, and spice.

[SunkenCiv]

Sounds like a very muzzie approach to governance and succession.

[exnavy]

One and only reason the Ottoman empire fell, MOSLEM.

[MoochPooch]

It was a whole culture of cruelty.

[SunkenCiv]

http://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/78f2bf80-f303-4049-9ac8-6507942e132a

[combat_boots]

Yes

The carve out of lands to foreign interests as capitulations in payment of debts. Essentially now known as Balkanization.

[combat_boots]

Re capitulations

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitulations_of_the_Ottoman_Empire

[SkyPilot]

1. Islam

2. Islam

3. Islam

4. Islam

5. Islam

6. Islam

[governsleastgovernsbest]

I just finished memorizing the 7 causes of the War of 1812, and now I have to learn this? ;-)

[Hootowl]

Diversity! Also the reason Rome collapsed, according to Gibbons and Montesquieu. As I keep pointing out to my liberal acquaintances, diversity is destructive. Instead of celebrating diversity, or things which make us different, we should celebrate uni-versity, the things that make us alike.

[CptnObvious]

It was corruption that brought it down: https://prezi.com/ip_eg-24lfrj/corruption-of-officials-in-the-ottoman-empire/

And we better be thankful for Trump as corruption under the DemocRATS was metastasizing.

[JonPreston]

Six Reasons Why the Ottoman Empire Fell

Reason #1: Islamists apply 6th century reasoning to 20th century problems.

Reason #2-6: See reason #1.

[SauronOfMordor]

Having to pay European creditors was a symptom of their bad economy, not the cause.

The Islamic taxation system was based on a tax on wealth, a 2.5% tax on assets (inventory, cash, raw materials) which excluded the value of land (and thus benefitted the land owning aristocracy at the expense of the middle class).

No entrepreneurial middle class = no industrialization.

[mewzilla]

The same thing that did in Rome: It's bureaucracy.

But we won't mention that, eh? 😄