The Decline of the Ottoman Empire
A Once-Powerful Empire in Crisis
For centuries, the Ottoman Empire was one of the most powerful forces in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. At its height, it controlled territory from Hungary to Arabia and from the Balkans to Egypt. But by the 1800s, the empire began to weaken. Internal problems, military defeats, and growing pressure from European powers led to what historians call the “Eastern Question”—what would happen as the empire declined? By the late 19th century, the Ottomans were often called the “sick man of Europe.” European leaders began to worry—and compete—over who would gain influence as the empire lost control of its lands.
Internal Struggles and Loss of Territory
The Ottoman Empire struggled with corruption, outdated military forces, and difficulty managing its diverse population. Many different ethnic and religious groups—such as Greeks, Serbs, Bulgarians, and Armenians—lived within its borders. As nationalism spread across Europe, some of these groups began demanding independence. The empire lost wars and land to rising powers. Greece gained independence in the 1820s. Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria followed later in the century. The Ottomans also lost territory to Russia and Austria. These defeats weakened the empire’s control and increased unrest within its borders.
The Crimean War and Foreign Involvement
As the Ottoman Empire declined, European powers began to intervene—sometimes to protect their own interests, and sometimes to stop each other from gaining too much. One major example is the Crimean War (1853–1856). In this conflict, Britain and France supported the Ottoman Empire in a war against Russia, which wanted access to warm-water ports and more influence in the Balkans. Although the Ottomans technically won with help, the war showed how weak the empire had become. It also revealed how much other countries were invested in controlling or protecting Ottoman territory. The empire became a focus of international diplomacy, rivalries, and shifting alliances.
The Balkan Problem
One of the most unstable regions in the Ottoman Empire was the Balkans—a group of countries in southeastern Europe. As Ottoman power faded, Balkan nationalist movements grew stronger. Russia supported Slavic groups like the Serbs, while Austria-Hungary tried to keep them under control. Tensions between these groups and empires kept rising. This competition turned the Balkans into a hotspot for conflict. Even though the Ottoman Empire still controlled parts of the region, it could no longer keep peace or prevent outside interference. The weakening of Ottoman power made the region more vulnerable to war.
A Shift in European Power
The decline of the Ottoman Empire created a power vacuum in southeastern Europe. Major European powers—especially Russia, Austria-Hungary, Britain, and France—competed for territory, trade routes, and influence. These rivalries contributed to the growing system of alliances and conflicts that reshaped Europe in the late 1800s. The weakening of the empire didn’t just affect one region. It added fuel to international rivalries and made diplomacy more dangerous and unpredictable. The Eastern Question remained unsettled for decades, and the struggle over former Ottoman lands would continue to shape European politics well into the 20th century.