Imperialism in the Middle East

Europe in the Middle East

• At its height, the Ottoman Empire stretched through Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe

• By 1800, Pashas (provincial rulers) had increased their power and were dividing country

• Also facing economic problems and corruption in early 1800s

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Ottoman Empire in Decline

• Ottoman Empire always generally accepting of all religions and cultures, peaceful

• Seeing Nationalism in Western Europe, groups in Ottoman Empire want to form their own nations. Ottoman Empire sees several revolts inside its borders

• Greeks, Serbs, Bulgarians, and Romanians all gain independence from Ottomans

• Egypt leaves Ottoman Empire

• Other groups within Empire Rebel, but Ottomans retain control of them-Arabians, Lebanese and Armenians
  

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Nationalism's Impact

Open Ended

Name one current country in Europe or Africa that the Ottoman Empire previously controlled.

What the Europeans Want

• Russia sees the Ottoman Empire getting weak and wants to control two straights--their only way out to the Mediterranean

• Britain and France work together work together to help the Ottomans resist Russia, but slowly take over more and more control of the Ottoman Empire
  

Open Ended

Why do the Russians want to control the Ottoman Empire?

Ottoman Westernization

• Many young Ottoman men went to Europe to study, came back with Western political ideals of equality and democracy

• Ottomans imported medical tech from Europe-led to population explosion that led to unrest. People were fighting over land

• Sultans reverted to repressive rule and rejected reform and Western ideas

Open Ended

Review: What movement did ideas of Democracy and Equality come out of?

• Started in 1890

• Wanted reform to save Ottoman Empire

• Overthrew Sultan in 1908

• WWI started in 1914 and threw Ottomans into further chaos

• Armenian Genocide

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The Young Turks

End of Ottoman Empire

Fought with Germany in WWI
Lost, ended by Treaty in 1922

• Semi-Independent in 1800, province of Ottoman Empire

• Muhammed Ali-"Founder of Modern Egypt"

• Got French out of Egypt, there since Napoleon

• Introduced reforms, took land from old landowning class

• Reduced power of religious leaders and set to modernize Egypt

• Improved irrigation and tax collection

• Instructed farmers to grow cotton to sell-brought them into world trade

Modernization in Egypt

After Muhammed Ali

Leaders after Muhammed Ali lacked his abilities

Egypt Increasingly under foreign control

France "helped" build Suez Canal, opened in 1869

in 1875, Egypt could not repay loans for Suez Canal, so he sold his portion of canal to Britain

Britain now controlled Egypt's Canal, Britain then made Egypt a protectorate

​Latest efforts to free massive ship from Suez Canal fail - Here are the next steps (youtube.com)

Open Ended

Which area of the world benefits most historically and currently from the Suez Canal?