FREE ESSAY ON OTTOMAN EMPIRE

OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Around 1293 the chieftain of a nomadic Turkish tribe named Osman, founded an empire that
would endure almost six hundred years. As this empire grew by conquering lands of the
Byzantine Empire and beyond, it came to include, at its height, all of Asia Minor,
Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Romania, Egypt, Crete, Cyprus, Palestine, and
North Africa through Algeria; parts of Hungry, Austria, Russia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Oman,
U.A.E., and Syria. The elite tactics and fearsome fighting of the well trained Janissary
Corps helped make the Ottoman Empire one of the largest in the world's history. -1- The
first "army" of the Ottoman Empire was made up Gazis, Turkish faith fighters. They were
effective against small countries and principalities, but were not always reliable. (J.F.
VonHamer-Purgstal 771) For example, the original Ottoman state was very close to
Constantinople, the capital of the struggling Byzantine Empire, it was not captured until
1453. At the time of its formation the Ottoman state could not defeat the defending
armies of Constantinople due to its small and untrained army. (Bossenbrook 504) In
addition, when the Ottomans went to face the larger and more powerful army of the Tatar
Empire, under the leadership of Tamerlane, the Gazis deserted. Left with an army made of
Christian vassals, the Ottomans fell to the Tatar army. (J.F. VonHamer-Purgstal 771)
Since the Gazis proved to be unreliable Sultan Murad I around 1371 thought it necessary
to build up an army that would have superior fighting power and be loyal to him. He began
to build up the power of various non-Turkish groups in his service, particularly those
composed of Christian slaves and converts to Islam. (J.F. VonHamer-Purgstal 771) -2- This
new military infantry was well organized and trained; it was called the Janissary Corps.
(J.F. VonHamer-Purgstal 773) These Janissary warriors were mostly composed of Christians
or Jews who had converted to Islam. They were brought up in the Janissary camp from about
the age of 5. They were trained to be fearsome warriors, although some were trained to be
administrators. Most of the Janissary soldiers were in the cavalry. The cavalry was one
of the main keys to the Ottoman's many victories. The Janissary Corp's soldiers were paid
with a regular salary now that the country was established and taxes were collected.
"Orhan's [son of Osman, the founder of the Ottoman Empire] capture of Bursa in 1324
provided the first means for developing the administrative, financial, and military power
necessary to make this principality into a real state and create an army" ( J. F. von
Hamer-Pugstall 773). The Janissary Corps were the most awesome force that Europe had
contended with for centuries. They were the most fearsome fighters to attack Europe since
Gengis Khan's Golden Hordes. They fought like well trained animals. "Orhan soon was able
to capture the remaining Byzantine towns in north- western Antola: Iznik(1331),
Izmit(1337), and Uskudar(1338)" (J. F. von Hamer-Pugstall 771). -3- "Murad conquered
Thorace, northwest of Constantinople in 1361. He moved the capital to Adrianople" ( J. F.
von Hamer-Pugstall 772). The Ottomans were not always expanding by means of war and
conquest. They also gained territory through marriage and purchases. "Bayezed extended
the empire in Europe and added outposts along the Black Sea" ( J. F. von Hamer-Pugstall
773). The Ottomans became more powerful and now they added an artillery branch to their
Janissary training. "Murad then inaugurated the First Venetian Ottoman War (1423-30) ...
Venice moreover accepted Solonica to prevent further Ottoman expansion" ( J. F. von
Hamer-Pugstall 773). Murad had been warning Venice that if it didn't give up Solonica to
the Ottomans, it would be forced to go to war with them. Venice at the time had the
largest navy and thought it could defeat the Ottomans, who lacked a large navy. So Murad
then ordered a grand navy to be built. It was completed within a year's time, and the
Ottomans went to war. -4- At first they attacked the harbor cities for 6 years, then they
landed the Janissaries and they easily overcame the small Venetian militia. "The Ottomans
rapidly became a sea power in the eastern Mediterranean" (Bossenbrook 504). After the win
against Venice Sultan Bayezid was pushed into making more conquests in Europe by his
militant Deusirme group. So in 1483 he pushed the power of the Ottoman Empire south of
the Danube by taking Slovia and Hersegovania. "... Bayezid was forced into a number of
campaigns by the exigencies of time and the demands of his more militant Devsirme
followers. In Europe, he rounded off the Empire south of the Danube and Slovia by taking
Hersegovania (1483)m leaving only Belgrade out of Ottman's control" ( J. F. von
Hamer-Pugstall 774). The Ottomans had always wanted control of Mesopotamia and the holy
cities of Mecca and Medina. In the month of August,1514 they went to war against the
Safavid army. They crush the army of Safavid because they had superiority in tactics and
weapons (they also had gunpowder and cannons, compared to the Safavid, bows, arrows and
spears. -5- ''The Ottoman and Safavid armies clashed at Chaldiran of the eastern side of
the Euphrates (Aug. 23, 1516) and the Safavids were routed by the Ottoman superiority in
weapons and tactics-particularly because they had cannons and gunpowder, in contrast to
the Safavid's bows, arrows and spears ( J. F. von Hamer-Pugstall 778). "The Byzantine
empire was weakened by Latin conquests, and now it was further enfeebled by the loss of
areas from which they might draw soldiers and revenues... those conquered territories
encircled the city of Constantinople; it was therefore in a very precarious position"
(Bossenbrook 504). The Ottomans, now with a powerful, better trained and well supplied
army, went and sieged the city of Constantinople (April 6-May 28, 1453). Finally on May
29,1453 the city fell to the powerful army of the Ottomans. The Ottomans changed the name
of Constantinople to Istanbul, and made it its capitol. Venice had built up a series of
forts along the Agean Sea (they considered it to be a Venetian Sea). The Ottomans saw
them as a threat to their navy and expansion. They demanded the Venitians to surrender
them. -6- "When Venice refused to surrender its important forts on the Agean coast of the
Morea, Mehemed inaugurated the second Venitian-Ottoman War (1463-79)... and several naval
raids led to peace in 1479 whereby Venice gave up its forts and paid an annual tribute" (
J. F. von Hamer-Pugstall 778). After the defeat of the Safavid army Selim took the
opportunity to attack the weak state of the Mamluks, who were in a period of civil
disorder, due to the death of their leader. The Ottomans crushed the small and out manned
army. By 1517 the Ottomans had control of Syria and Egypt. "With Shah Esmail [of the
Safavid Empire] still busy restoring his army, Selim was able to overcome the Mamluks in
a single years campaign during the summer and winter of 1516-17. The Mamluk army fell
easily to the well organized and disciplined Ottoman infantry and cavalry, supported by
artillery" ( J. F.von Hamer-Pugstall 778). The Europeans had started to fear the Ottomans
in the latter half of the 13th century. In the 16th century Doria of Spain thought that
an allied force of European armies personally led by him would be able to defeat the
Ottoman's navy's power in the Mediterranean. -7- And thus, allow European countries to
colonize Crete, Cyprus and Northern Africa. "Dorian then organized and led an allied
European naval force against the Ottomans, but it was routed at the Battle of Preveza
(September 25-28 1538). Venice then surrendered it last possessions in the Agean, Morea,
and Dalmatia, thus assuring Ottoman naval supremacy" ( J. F. von Hamer-Pugstall 779).
Meanwhile the Ottoman Empire continued to conquer and terrorize Europe for 200 years
more. But slow decline of the Sultan's power led to the decline of the empire. It started
after Suleyman I died in 1566. The Ottomans suffer their first military defeat in 1683,
and from then on started losing territories. ( J. F. von Hamer-Pugstall 783) The Ottoman
military fearsomeness was still in existence after the empire had disintegrated. Turkey
was formed after the Ottoman Empire was destroyed in 1918 following the final defeat in
World War I. The fear of Turkish fighters was abundant during World War II. Turkish
infantryman would wrap rope around their chest and stomach prior to a ground attack. -8-
These soldiers would attack with sword in hand to lop off the heads of enemy soldiers
even after being shot many times. The rope around the body would help keep the Turk from
collapsing as he was being "filled with lead"; he would then be able to reach his victim
and "take one with him" ( Portillo, 1994). -9-