Decline of the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire was a Muslim-Turkish state that stretched from Southeastern Europe (the
Balkans) to North Africa and the Middle East from the 14th century to the early 19th century. It was slowly
decaying towards the end of the 19th century. As a result, the Ottoman Empire was called the sick man of
Europe. The Ottoman Empire had economic problems and a corrupt government and the many ethnic
groups within the empire caused unrest and tensions. Therefore, it was unable to prevent nationalistic
uprisings. Subject peoples in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa threatened to break away.
European powers feared that the collapse of the Ottoman Empire would enable another European nation
to take over Ottoman lands. This would upset the balance
of power in Europe.
Although the Ottomans tried to suppress rebellions
among its diverse people, several of its subject people
gained independence. Greece achieved independence
from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. The Greeks succeeded
because they were helped by the great powers of Europe
rather than hindered. The Greeks attempted to revolt against
their oppressor, the ruler of the Ottoman Empire. The chief
revolutionaries were Herairia Philike, members of a secret
society, the which led the rebellion in the spring of 1821
against the Turks. When the Greeks appeared to be
losing against the Turks, other European states intervened
in support of the Greek rebels. In 1827, French, British, and
Russian naval vessels fought and destroyed much of the Turkish and Egyptian navies in the battle of
Navarino Bay. The next year, the Russians directly declared war on Turkey. By 1829, the fight was over,
and the Ottoman Empire agreed to the Treaty of Adrianople, which established Greece as an independent
kingdom. In 1869 Egypt broke away from the Ottoman Empire. After 1869 other nationalistic groups began
to seek self-rule. In 1877 with help from Russia, the Balkan States of Serbia, Rumania, Montenegro, and
Bulgaria gained independence from the Ottoman Empire.
As the Ottoman Empire decayed, European powers now saw a chance to gain control of the Balkan
areas the Ottoman Empire had ruled. Russia was the first European country to extend its influence within
Ottoman territory. Russia wanted to control the Bosporus and Dardanelles—straits connecting Russian’s
ports in the Black Sea with the Mediterranean. The Crimean War erupted in 1854 when Russia’s
aggressive moves caused Great Britain and France to side with the Ottomans to stop the threat of Russian
expansion. The Crimean War ended in Russia’s defeat. Despite help from Great Britain and France, the
Ottoman Empire continued to lose lands. When the Slavic people in the Balkans rebelled against the
Ottomans, the Russians came to their aid. The Ottomans eventually lost control of the Balkans. Romania,
Montenegro, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and the lands that became known as Bulgaria became independent or
were now under Russian influence. The Ottoman Empire also lost land in Africa as well. By the beginning
of World War I, the Ottoman Empire was smaller than its former size.
Great Britain quickly gained control of many key territories in the Middle East. England's government
understood the military and economic importance of the Middle East. The region was important because of
its waterways; the Suez Canal; its valuable oil resources; and its strategic location at the crossroads of
Europe, Asia, and Africa. Britain also had the military muscle to take control of the Middle East and its
huge reserves of valuable oil that were so necessary for industrialization. By 1882 British troops were
stationed in Egypt to protect Great Britain’s investment in the canal. Eventually, in 1914, Egypt became a
protectorate of Great Britain.
Directions: Answer all questions completely.
4) Why was the Ottoman Empire called "The Sick man of Europe?"
5) Why were the Greeks able to win their independence from the Ottoman Turks?
6) What lands did the Ottoman Turks end up losing?
7) Why was England interested in Egypt?
The Crimean War
At the turn of the 19th century, the five leading European powers were England, France, Austria,
Prussia, and Russia. These powers dominated international politics in Europe and abroad during the first
half of the 1800s. These were years of expansion and growth for nation-states in Europe. Only one major
European war managed to break the peace in Europe from 1815 to 1870.
The Crimean War broke out in 1854 and lasted until 1856. The war began, officially, as the result of a
rivalry between Catholic and Greek Orthodox monks in the Ottoman Empire. The
sultan recognized the Catholic clerics as equal in status with the Greeks. This
he agreed to do under intense pressure from the French government. When the
sultan made this step, Russia, which supported the Orthodox monks, stepped in
and occupied land under Ottoman control, chiefly the territory belonging to
Romania today. The Turks, leaders of the Ottoman state, than declared war on
Russia in 1853. As allies of Turkey, England and France declared war on Russia
in the early spring of 1854. Napoleon III and France, however, had its own
interests to protect. It did not want Russia to gain power and territory in the Middle
East, particularly Palestine.
For many, the war did not go well. British troops were poorly led and suffered in the field a result of the
bad planning and the primitive logistics of their leaders. Much of the war was fought in Eastern Europe—
especially on the Black Sea—around the Russian port of Sevastopol, on the Crimean peninsula. One of
the best known military actions of the war (although a foolhardy mistake) was the famous Charge of the
Light Brigade, made by a British cavalry unit during the fighting at Balaclava on October 25, 1854. These
horse-bound troops were cut down by cannons on three sides. Of 700 cavalry troops who began the
charge, 195 survived.
Florence Nightingale (1820 –1910) was known for her involvement in the Crimean War. She served as
a British
nurse, whose fellow nurses took care of the sick and wounded during the conflict.
she led an
important crusade in favor of improving the careless and deadly conditions
military
hospitals of the period. Much of the military action of the Crimean found in most
War was
indecisive and a waste of human life. (Many more died of disease
than
in combat, a fact of war in that period.)
By 1856, following a threat by Austria to enter the war on the side
of the allies, the Russians agreed to an end to hostilities. Russia is
defeated because of the combined forces. A new international meeting
was called —the Congress of Paris—and important decisions were
made regarding the future of Europe. The allies— now known as the
Concert of Europe—agreed to recognize the sovereignty of Turkey. They
also limited Russia’s influence and power over Turkey. Finally, the treaty removed all naval and military
presence from the Black Sea. With the end of this military crisis, the great powers of Europe, along with a
humiliated Russia, continued to lead the way in international politics.
During the Crimean War, Napoleon III convinced the French people that France had once again
become an important European and world power. He did this by controlling what the newspapers printed
about France’s victories and losses in the war. The Crimean War was the first war covered by newspapermen who were at the scene of the battles. However, most of what the newspapers published was
exactly what the French government wanted the French people to read. France gained little but glory in
the Crimean War.
Directions: Answer all questions completely.
8) Why did the Crimean War begin?
9) Explain the Light Brigade attack.
10) Why was Florence Nightingale's crusade important?
11) What were the results of the Concert of Europe meeting?