Why the Ottoman Empire Slowly Collapsed — Fexingo History cover art

Why the Ottoman Empire Slowly Collapsed — Fexingo History

Why the Ottoman Empire Slowly Collapsed — Fexingo History

By: Fexingo
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The Ottoman Empire, once a superpower that bridged three continents, did not collapse in a single dramatic event but unraveled over centuries of internal decay, external pressure, and missed opportunities. In this show, Lucas and Luna guide you through the empire's long decline—from the stagnation of the 'Tulip Age' (1718–1730) and the humiliating Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (1774), through the reforming Tanzimat era (1839–1876) and the disastrous Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, to the 'Sick Man of Europe' deathbed. Along the way, they dissect the roles of the Janissary corps, the Capitulations that ceded economic sovereignty to European powers, the rise of nationalism among Balkan and Arab subjects, and the leadership of sultans like Mahmud II, Abdul Hamid II, and the Young Turks. The show also examines the empire's cultural legacy—from the architecture of Mimar Sinan to the coffeehouse culture that shaped public discourse—and asks what lessons the Ottoman experience offers for modern states grappling with overextension, ethnic fragmentation, and technological change. Why does a polity that lasted over six centuries ultimately fail? And how does its ghost still haunt the Middle East and the Balkans today? #OttomanEmpire #DeclineAndFall #SickManOfEurope #Tanzimat #YoungTurks #Janissaries #TreatyOfKKKaynarca #TulipAge #MahmudII #AbdulHamidII #BalkanNationalism #MimarSinan #Capitulations #RussoTurkishWar1877 #MiddleEastHistory #WorldHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo© 2026 Fexingo. All rights reserved. Hourly Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • The 1913 Ottoman Coup That Sealed the Empire's Fate

    The 1913 Ottoman Coup That Sealed the Empire's Fate
    Jun 18 2026
    In January 1913, a small group of Young Turk officers stormed the Ottoman government building in a bold coup that would set the empire on an irreversible path to World War I. This episode dives into the Bab-ı Ali Baskını, the raid on the Sublime Porte led by Enver Bey and Talat Bey, which overthrew the Kamil Pasha government and installed a hardline İttihat ve Terakki (Committee of Union and Progress) regime. We explore the immediate aftermath: the assassination of Grand Vizier Mahmut Şevket Paşa, the consolidation of the Three Pashas (Enver, Talat, and Cemal), and the shift toward German military influence. The coup's context includes the disastrous First Balkan War, the loss of Edirne, and the empire's desperate attempts to hold onto its European territories. We also examine how this power grab alienated non-Turkish minorities and set the stage for wartime deportations and the Armenian Genocide. A pivotal, bloody moment that turned the Ottoman Empire into a military dictatorship and sealed its collapse. #1913OttomanCoup #BabıAliBaskını #YoungTurks #İttihatveTerakki #EnverPaşa #TalatPaşa #CemalPaşa #MahmutŞevketPaşa #KamilPaşa #BalkanWars #Edirne #ThreePashas #OttomanEmpire #WorldWarI #History #FexingoHistory #MiddleEastHistory #Coups Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    5 mins
  • The Ottoman Empire's Desert War That Dragged It Down

    The Ottoman Empire's Desert War That Dragged It Down
    Jun 17 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how the Ottoman Empire's involvement in the Libyan desert—specifically the 1911–1912 Italo-Turkish War—acted as a final pressure point before World War I. They focus on the little-known Battle of Sciara Sciatt on October 23, 1911, where Ottoman-led Arab and Berber fighters inflicted heavy losses on Italian troops near Tripoli. The discussion covers the roles of Enver Bey and Mustafa Kemal, the impact of Italian aerial bombing (the first in history), and the long-term consequences of losing Libya as a training ground for officers. The hosts also touch on the use of Senussi tribesmen and the legacy of Omar Mukhtar. The episode ties together military, political, and social threads showing how this desert conflict drained Ottoman resources and morale. #OttomanEmpire #ItaloTurkishWar #Libya #SciaraSciat #EnverPasha #MustafaKemal #Senussi #OmarMukhtar #Tripoli #1911 #DesertWar #History #FexingoHistory #MiddleEast #WWI #Colonialism #AerialBombing #Battle Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
  • The 1913 Ottoman Coup That Sealed the Empire's Fate

    The 1913 Ottoman Coup That Sealed the Empire's Fate
    Jun 17 2026
    In January 1913, a small group of Committee of Union and Progress officers stormed the Sublime Porte, assassinated the war minister, and forced the grand vizier to resign at gunpoint. This episode examines the Bab-ı Ali Baskını — the Sublime Porte Raid — and how it destroyed the last chance for Ottoman recovery after the Balkan Wars. We follow Enver Bey's dramatic entrance into the War Ministry, the killing of Mahmut Şevket Paşa, and the establishment of the 'Three Pashas' triumvirate that would lead the empire into World War I. Along the way, we consider the role of the Teşkilât-ı Mahsusa, the impact on the 1913 London Conference, and how this coup transformed the Ottoman government from a constitutional monarchy into a one-party dictatorship. The episode also touches on the forgotten figure of Mehmed Said Halim Paşa and the surprising survival of the Şeyhülislam. We end by asking whether a different outcome in 1913 could have changed the empire's disastrous entry into the Great War. #OttomanEmpire #1913Coup #BabıAliBaskını #EnverPasha #ThreePashas #BalkanWars #SublimePorte #MahmutŞevketPaşa #İttihatveTerakki #CUP #TeşkilatıMahsusa #MehmedSaidHalim #LondonConference #WorldWarI #ConstitutionalCrisis #History #FexingoHistory #MiddleEast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
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