AGE OF AGE OF

IMPERIALISMIMPERIALISMEuropeans Set Their Sights OnEuropeans Set Their Sights On

THE OTTOMAN EMPIRETHE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

THE OTTOMAN EMPIRETHE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

IN ITS PRIME, THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE HAD VAST TERRITORY THAT STRETCHED AROUND THE

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

THE OTTOMAN EMPIRETHE OTTOMAN EMPIRE The Ottoman Empire lasted from 1299 to 1923 It was succeeded by the Republic of Turkey in 1923 At the height of its power, it spanned three

continents (Africa, Asia, and Europe) Constantinople (now known as Istanbul) was its

capital city Its leaders were called “sultans” The greatest of the sultans ruled from 1526 to 1566.

His name was Suleyman I, better known as “Suleyman the Magnificent”

Suleyman the MagnificentSuleyman the MagnificentSuleyman greatly expanded the Ottoman Empire, leading military conquests of Christian-held territories

Under his rule, the Ottomans were the world leaders of technology, art, architecture, law, philosophy, and educationSuleyman’s reign was the “Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire”, a time of incredible economic prosperityAfter his death in 1566, the Golden Age was at an end and the Ottoman Empire began a slow and steady decline over the next 300 years

The Ottomans’ DeclineThe Ottomans’ DeclineAfter Suleyman’s death, he was followed by a series of weak, often corrupt sultansThere was dissension and quarreling in the government, which weakened the EmpireCorruption and theft ended the economic prosperityAmong Muslims, there began a movement to reject Western thought and technology and follow the rules of Islam in a stricter fashion (go back to the way life was during the Prophet Muhammad’s time)Sultan Selim III tried to modernize the army, but was overthrown by traditional thinkers who saw modern technology as wrong and against IslamAs a result, the Ottomans began to fall behind the European nations in terms of technology and military might

Europeans Grab Ottoman TerritoryEuropeans Grab Ottoman Territory

GEOPOLITICS: an interest in taking land for its resources or strategic location

Geopolitics played a big part in the decline of the Ottoman Empire. Other nations wanted the land of the Ottoman Empire because of

where it was located (all along the Mediterranean and the Black Sea).

Control of the waterways meant control of trade. During the mid-1800s, RUSSIA was especially interested in taking

over parts of the Ottoman Empire. This led to war. During the early 1900s, discovery of oil in Persia and Arabia drew a

GREAT DEAL of interest from world powers.

THE CRIMEAN WARTHE CRIMEAN WARRussia VS. Ottoman Empire (and Britain & France, too!)Russia VS. Ottoman Empire (and Britain & France, too!)

THE CRIMEAN WARTHE CRIMEAN WAR Ottomans had what Russia wanted: control of the Black Sea In 1853, war broke out between the Russians and Ottomans It was called the Crimean War because most of the fighting

took place on the peninsula of Crimea Fearing Russian expansion, Britain, France, and Sardinia

(later to be a part of the united Italy) entered the war on the side of the Ottomans

The combined forces of Britain, France, Sardinia, and the Ottomans fend off the Russians in 1856

2 interesting points about the Crimean War: this is the first war where women served as combat nurses (led by Florence Nightingale), and this is the first war covered by newspaper journalists

RESULTS OF THE CRIMEAN WARRESULTS OF THE CRIMEAN WARDespite beating the Russians, the Crimean War was not good for the OttomansOttomans’ outdated technology was exposed in the warThe Russians encouraged their fellow Slavs in the Ottoman Empire to rebel against their rulersGreece and Serbia had already gained their freedom from the Ottomans, and now rebellions led to other countries joining them: Romania, Montenegro, Cyprus, Bosnia, Bulgaria, and Herzegovina (the Balkans) The Ottomans lost African lands, as wellBy the time World War I began (1914), the Ottoman Empire was severely reduced in size and in deep decline

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Rise_and_Fall_of_the_Ottoman_Empire_1300-1923.gif

““THE GREAT GAME”THE GREAT GAME”The Great GameThe Great Game

was a term that referred to the strategic rivalry and geopolitical conflictgeopolitical conflict between the British British EmpireEmpire and the Russian Russian EmpireEmpire for supremacy in supremacy in Central AsiaCentral Asia in the 19th Century

Caption from a 1911 English satiricalmagazine reads: "If we hadn't a thoroughunderstanding, I (British lion) might almost betempted to ask what you (Russian bear) aredoing there with our little playfellow (Persian cat)."

EGYPTEGYPT

EGYPT TRIES TO BLOCK IMPERIALISMEGYPT TRIES TO BLOCK IMPERIALISM

Muslim leaders in Egypt watched the decline of the Ottoman Empire, and were determined to avoid their fate. Egypt broke away from the Ottoman Empire in 1841How do they avoid the Ottomans’ fate?

Adjust to the modern world, or be consumed by itAdjust to the modern world, or be consumed by itEgypt’s location at the head of the Red Sea made their land attractive to Britain and France (geopolitics again!)A new leader of Egypt emerged, a man who tried to start up new reforms of the economy and modernize the military. The goal of this modernization was to avoid being taken over by imperials like Britain and France This leader’s name was Muhammad Ali

MUHAMMAD ALIMUHAMMAD ALI

THE SUEZ CANALTHE SUEZ CANAL

BUILDING THE SUEZ CANALBUILDING THE SUEZ CANALMuhammad Ali’s grandson Isma’il

continued his efforts to modernize Egypt

A major step was the construction of the Suez Canal, which would connect the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea

Why was connecting these two bodies of water so important?

BEFORE THE SUEZ CANALBEFORE THE SUEZ CANAL

AFTER THE SUEZ CANALAFTER THE SUEZ CANAL

THE SUEZ CANAL OPENS…THE SUEZ CANAL OPENS……AND WHAT HAPPENS?…AND WHAT HAPPENS?

The Suez Canal opened in 1869

The Egyptians had borrowed over $450 million from European bankers to construct it

The Egyptians couldn’t make their payments

Britain insisted on overseeing control of the canal (and now they have quicker access to Asia)(and now they have quicker access to Asia)

The British end up also occupying Egypt, which was exactly what the Egyptians wanted to avoid

PERSIA (later known as IRAN)PERSIA (later known as IRAN) Persia was another Muslim territory targeted by the imperial

Europeans

Corrupt leaders wanted to work with the Europeans, while the people and religious leaders were against modernization

The discovery of oil in 1908 led to the Anglo-Persian Oil Company being formed, and the British exploited the oil in the region

Russia and Britain divided Persia into spheres of influence, taking economic control of the nation