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

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.

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.

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

● 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

● 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

• 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.

INTRODUCTION TO EASTERN QUESTION

• 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.

• 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?

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.

(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.

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.

BACKGROUND:

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.”

CRIMEAN 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.

BEGINNING OF WAR

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.

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.

END OF WAR

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