Regional Expansion: Ottoman Empire

A large section of Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa are shaded in green — The Ottoman Empire at its greatest extent

We will continue our exploration of regional expansion by learning about the Ottoman Empire.

The Ottoman Empire

The Ottomans began as Turkish nomadic people, composed of aggressive and warlike tribes who raided agricultural communities. Like the Manchu, they used gunpowder weapons to expand their territory and consolidate power. Cannons and muskets gave the Ottomans a major military advantage over rivals who relied on traditional weapons. The capture of Constantinople in 1453 demonstrated this power, as massive cannons destroyed the city’s walls, ending the Byzantine Empire.

The Ottomans continued using artillery and firearms to conquer regions in the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe (see map below). Their elite Janissary corps, trained with muskets, became one of the most effective armies of the early modern world, securing Ottoman dominance for centuries. After the Mongols crushed the Seljuks, the Ottomans had room to emerge as a powerful empire.

Results of Ottoman Conquest

The Ottoman conquests expanded into former Byzantine territories, a process that culminated in the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Many former Byzantines in Anatolia converted to Islam. In the Balkans, many remained Christian. Orthodox churches were allowed to remain. Despite their territorial conflicts with Christian Europe, most Christians in the Empire were permitted to practice their faith. Jewish, Christian, and other minorities could maintain autonomous communities with their own civil laws and customs. The Ottomans recruited many non-Muslims into their elite and relied on their skills for trade and craftsmanship. In fact, a Hungarian Christian cast the cannons that allowed Mehmed II to conquer the Christian city of Constantinople.

[CC BY-NC-SA 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION - INTENDED ONLY FOR USE WITHIN LESSON.