Almost like the Silk Road trade routes became irrelevant once Europeans learned how to sail around Africa to India and beyond
Basilacis on
The Turks had a really big problem with Eugene, but literally after Eugene was not there, the Ottomans won a war against the Habsburgs and they did it again later. In the meantime the took Azov back from the Russians, Morea back from the Venetians.
The Ottomans had a very effective army when it was not besieging or generally storming enemy positions. If you see all battles the Ottomans lost or almost lost, were battles where the Ottomans were storming enemy fortifications.
Im the 18th century the Empire was heavily decentralised and all power was transferred to Albanian, Georgian and Bedouin warlords. This is the reason why the Sultans wanted to reform the army. Also, another reason was that the janissaries were controlling the politics instead of the government itself.
After the peaceful period with Europe from around 1740 until 1768, the Turks had left the army not going well, many officers were inexperienced, the experienced ones were deserting, and the navy was abandoned. This is the moment when the Ottomans started to actually have difficulty winning against Europe, yet Europeans could not penetrate into the Ottoman Empire either. In 1770 Russia failed its offensive in Morea and Judea, and Karamahmut crashed completely the Greek Revolution. The naval battle of Çesme was an important victory, but it was that great victory.
Later, the same thing happened again in the 1790s. The Russians could not penetrate into the Ottoman Empire. This time the Greek Revolution in Epirus was successful, and again a new Albanian warlord put everything under control in 1803.
In late 1790s Napoleon failed to stabilise himself in Egypt or even set foot in Levante, and another Albanian warlord put things under control in the following years.
The British also failed to bombard the Dardanelles amd got bombarded themselves.
The Serbian Revolution began and despite the military genius of Karađorđe and rhe crushing defeats of the Ottomans, the Revolution was put down.
The following war with Russia did not change much as the Russians wanted to defend against Napoleon.
Where is the sick man of Europe? Europeans could not enter the Ottoman empire! How many times Vienna was besieged and how many times was Constantinople or Adrianople or Thessalonica or Smyrna or Bursa?
However, Karamahmut, Ali Tepedenli, Muhammad Ali, the Dayılar of Belgrade (dahije), Osman Pasvantoğlu, Zâhir el-Ömer, and other important Ottoman military commanders turned against the Sublime Porte and they were ruling by themselves.
The massive Revolution of 1821 began and in many places was crushed except Morea and Central Greece. There it was almost crushed by Ä°brahim, the son of the Albanian warlord of Egypt. However, the revels turned fully crazy and they were killing and burning all Christian villages that were not fighting against the Ottomans. This led to extreme casualties and making the war the bloodiest in the history of the Balkans, but also forced the Ottomans to actually fail and lose a war within their soil.
The Sultan immediately reforms the army in 1826-1828, and in 1829 the Russians march through the Balkans to besiege Adrianople. The reformed army was under the control of the Sultan, yes, but it was an army that could halt European powers. After the reformation of the army, the Ottomans actually turned into the Sick Man of Europe. And the phrase itself was said during the Crimean War, when it actually fit. Not earlier.
Disclaimer: I am not a Turk, nor a Turcophile. My ancestors died fighting the Ottomans.
It is just historical truth that the pre-reformation Ottomans were impossible to be crushed when they were defending or generally deep in their realm instead of the European borderlands.
2 Comments
Almost like the Silk Road trade routes became irrelevant once Europeans learned how to sail around Africa to India and beyond
The Turks had a really big problem with Eugene, but literally after Eugene was not there, the Ottomans won a war against the Habsburgs and they did it again later. In the meantime the took Azov back from the Russians, Morea back from the Venetians.
The Ottomans had a very effective army when it was not besieging or generally storming enemy positions. If you see all battles the Ottomans lost or almost lost, were battles where the Ottomans were storming enemy fortifications.
Im the 18th century the Empire was heavily decentralised and all power was transferred to Albanian, Georgian and Bedouin warlords. This is the reason why the Sultans wanted to reform the army. Also, another reason was that the janissaries were controlling the politics instead of the government itself.
After the peaceful period with Europe from around 1740 until 1768, the Turks had left the army not going well, many officers were inexperienced, the experienced ones were deserting, and the navy was abandoned. This is the moment when the Ottomans started to actually have difficulty winning against Europe, yet Europeans could not penetrate into the Ottoman Empire either. In 1770 Russia failed its offensive in Morea and Judea, and Karamahmut crashed completely the Greek Revolution. The naval battle of Çesme was an important victory, but it was that great victory.
Later, the same thing happened again in the 1790s. The Russians could not penetrate into the Ottoman Empire. This time the Greek Revolution in Epirus was successful, and again a new Albanian warlord put everything under control in 1803.
In late 1790s Napoleon failed to stabilise himself in Egypt or even set foot in Levante, and another Albanian warlord put things under control in the following years.
The British also failed to bombard the Dardanelles amd got bombarded themselves.
The Serbian Revolution began and despite the military genius of Karađorđe and rhe crushing defeats of the Ottomans, the Revolution was put down.
The following war with Russia did not change much as the Russians wanted to defend against Napoleon.
Where is the sick man of Europe? Europeans could not enter the Ottoman empire! How many times Vienna was besieged and how many times was Constantinople or Adrianople or Thessalonica or Smyrna or Bursa?
However, Karamahmut, Ali Tepedenli, Muhammad Ali, the Dayılar of Belgrade (dahije), Osman Pasvantoğlu, Zâhir el-Ömer, and other important Ottoman military commanders turned against the Sublime Porte and they were ruling by themselves.
The massive Revolution of 1821 began and in many places was crushed except Morea and Central Greece. There it was almost crushed by Ä°brahim, the son of the Albanian warlord of Egypt. However, the revels turned fully crazy and they were killing and burning all Christian villages that were not fighting against the Ottomans. This led to extreme casualties and making the war the bloodiest in the history of the Balkans, but also forced the Ottomans to actually fail and lose a war within their soil.
The Sultan immediately reforms the army in 1826-1828, and in 1829 the Russians march through the Balkans to besiege Adrianople. The reformed army was under the control of the Sultan, yes, but it was an army that could halt European powers. After the reformation of the army, the Ottomans actually turned into the Sick Man of Europe. And the phrase itself was said during the Crimean War, when it actually fit. Not earlier.
Disclaimer: I am not a Turk, nor a Turcophile. My ancestors died fighting the Ottomans.
It is just historical truth that the pre-reformation Ottomans were impossible to be crushed when they were defending or generally deep in their realm instead of the European borderlands.