Traveling the World

The first ruler of the Ottoman Empire was Osman I, who was given land for his role in the defeat of an army that opposed the Seljuk Sultan. When the Sultan died in 1281, Osman became the chief of all his land, and by 1299 had declared himself the formal ruler of the Seljuk Empire. He made vast reforms that quickly yielded results in the form of extended borders and new people to rule over.

An attack worth noting is the surprise attack on Constantinople in 1453. This attack gave the Ottoman Turks access to Southeastern Europe (allowing them to later on conquer Serbia, Greece, and Austria-Hungary). But this empire wasn’t perfectly in control for the almost 700 years it existed. Many times over formerly-sovereign nations revolted against the Ottoman Turks. The Battles of Lepanto and Vienna proved disastrous and ended their reign in those areas.

At its height (16th-17th century), the Ottoman Empire spanned three continents: Africa, Europe, and Asia (Middle East). As the empire declined in its influence over those conquered, it attempted to make vast reforms and attempted modernization. One of the most significant ideas that entered the empire was from the Western world: nationalism. This single idea caused the end of the Ottoman Empire because countries began declaring independence at an alarming rate. Mostly their independence came as the result of a military victory against the empire.

The Ottoman Empire officially ended in 1922 at the end of the first World War and due to the nationalist movement in Turkey that ultimately led to the Republic of Turkey.