Although the Siege of Malta is no longer listed in the top 70 great battles in history, it is still one of the greatest battles that had the highest stakes ever. A war between Ottomans and Malta with stakes of whether or not the Ottoman Empire will rule the Mediterranean Sea, with so much at stake the Siege of Malta is one of the most important sieges of history. Leading the Ottoman/Turk empire was Sultan Suleiman, commanding over 7.6 million square miles, the Ottoman empire was a force to be reckoned with. Since Sultan Suleiman at this time was too old to lead the Ottoman army into battle, Piyale Pasha and Mustafa Pasha took his place. Commanding the navy army, Piyale was a young officer compared to the old commander of the land forces, Mustafa Pasha. With a combined combination of about 20,000 whom were almost all poor and illiterate farmers, the island of Malta and its neighboring island of Gozo stood no chance against the oncoming Ottoman army. With almost no wood on Malta the people were even forced to burn cows dung for fuel and heat. While the only good thing about Malta were the 2 harbors that allowed for proper anchorage for ships. Tired of the Maltan pirate Romegas, who was stealing and bothering Ottoman trade, Suleiman orders for an attack on Malta. According to Suleiman “the Maltese have already blocked the route used by the Muslim pilgrims and merchants” so “[he] intends to conquer the island of Malta”. With 40,000 fighting men including 6,000 of Suleiman’s elite infantry, the Janissaries, not to mention 900 cavalry and 70 huge siege cannons, the Ottoman force was not to be reckoned with. Since Fort St. Elmo was expected to only last about 1 week, the Ottomans had planned to then evict the Spanish from Tunis and ...
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...mpant Ottoman forces from gaining a strategic foothold in the central Mediterranean." History Today 57.1 (2007): 12+. World History in Context.
Web. 12 Feb. 2014. http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/whic/AcademicJournalsDetailsPage/AcademicJournalsDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=WHIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Journals&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=WHIC%3AUHIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA157745532&source=Bookmark&u=dove10524&jsid=82d20e667b46673483e397b8ba3ad08e Lafreri, Antonio. Ultimo Disegno Delli Forti Di Malta Uenuto Novamente. 1565. Photograph. Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc. Raremaps. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. .
Few, when writing about the American Revolution, list the Battle of Monmouth among the significant battles. It was hardly a bloody battle, with only about seven-hundred total casualties. It was not a decisive battle, it was not a battle in which we gained or lost a key position, and it was not a battle in which we point to as an example of how to conduct an engagement. In fact, it was not a battle in which one can say that the Revolutionaries truly won. Yet, with all this, it was probably the battle that turned the tide of the Revolutionary War. "Beneath a blazing sun at Monmouth Courthouse, it was shown to the rest of the Continental Army that the training of Freidrich Von Stueben had, indeed, paid off. Here, Revolutionists stood toe to toe with the greatest Army in the world, and drove them off the field." Heroes were made here, such as the famous Molly Hays McCauly , better known as Molly Pitcher. In truth, and in accordance with legend, she took up her husband's place at his cannon on Comb's Hill after he had fallen. Another legend that began here was the insanely courageous moves of General "Mad" Anthony Wayne. His hold against the Grenadiers earned him this nickname, which stuck until his death . Truly, this battle sent a rejuvenated spirit across the entire Continental Army. Contrary to popular belief, they could beat the British regulars. This would no longer be by some fluke, or by poor commanding on the British side, but by the excellent fighting that had been instilled on them during the harsh winter at Valley Forge.
The story begins by Shlaim breaking down the conflict into four periods: the Ottoman, the imperial (British/French), the Cold War (US/USSR), and American (present day). He then traces how these foreign powers have shaped the region and intruded in the relations among the local states. He argues that the post-Ottoman syndrome refers to the inability of the Middle East countries to achieve peace following the onset of imperialism.
1. The three main factors that resulted in the Ottoman expansion of the 14th century were rooted in geopolitics, military technology a nd strategy, and political strategy. The Ottoman capital and center of economics (post-1453) was located at Istanbul, which was not only the geographical “gateway” to Europe, but also connected Asia and Europe, which made Istanbul an extremely important area for commerce and merchants travelling from one continent to the other. Even after the Ottoman takeover of the Byzantines, they were able to expand even more partly due to the capitol and funds gained through commerce in Istanbul. The Ottomans also created an army that was aided by new technologies such as firearms as well as horses, which helped them expand exponentially through the Middle East. The balance within their military, with the Calvary coupled with armed Janissaries, furthered their military might. Lastly, the political strategy of Osman and his heirs helped to further Ottoman goals including expansion.
From the 18th century through the beginning of the 19th century, European influence was a significant force in various aspects of the Ottoman Empire, Egypt, and Iran. Although the reforms, coined primarily by Gelvin as “defensive developmentalism,” were initially intended to centralize governmental control and strengthen the military, the actual effects were much broader. Based on varying pre-existing conditions and unique approaches to governorship, this process of modernization affected each region differently. This essay will explore the manners in which European influence shaped each territory, the primary areas of civilization, politics and culture that experienced reform, and the degree to which that influence was significant, or in the case of Iran, insignificant.
Captiulations- gave autonomy to foreigners living in a Muslim territory (a practice adopted by the Ottomans). European nationals were freed from having to bey Ottoman laws or pay taxes. This attracted European traders, and spared the ottomans from having to settle their disputes. System adopted from the Mamluks.
The Battle of the Coral Sea turn out the way it did because a large part of the outcome was due to Japanese complacency and failure of naval intelligence. They underestimated the strength of the forces the Americans had. Also, the Japanese made tactical mistakes. They wasted valuable searching hours while attacking a relatively unimportant target, which was a tanker. The Americans had advantages of knowing what the enemy were planning due to being able to intercept and decode their signals. Also, they had radar that could identify incoming enemy aircraft in time for them to scramble their own fighters into the air to attack them. In the long run, the Allies gained far more from the engagement than the Japanese.
Özcan, Azmi. "Empire, Ottoman." Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450. Ed. Thomas Benjamin. Vol. 1. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2007. 407-416. World History in Context. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
“The Ottoman Empire enters WWI on the side of the Central Powers 1914” thenagain.info (April 21,1997)
Gregorio Dati, Diary, in Gene Brucker (ed), Two Memoirs of Renaissance Florence (Waveland Press, 1991) p. 107
...forces (then still under the Sultan) were nearly able to defeat the Greek rebels until the British, French, and Russians united to help the Greeks. Without the Treaty of Balta Liman and the concessions forced out of the Ottoman Empire, they may have been able to develop a modern economy, rather than being indebted to Europe. That would have allowed them to pay for a modern military that could resist European aggression. If not for Western powers short-circuting the defensive developmental plans of the Ottoman Empire. However, it is unrealistic to assume that Europe would have allowed the Ottomans to develop into a modern power--across the world, the major European powers acted to prevent all other countries from becoming their equals. If they had not intervened when they did, they almost certainly would have at some other point in order to assure their dominance.
Hooker, Richard. "The Ottomans: The 17th and 18th Centuries." Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. 1996. Web. 06 Apr. 2011. .
The French occupation is a confrontation between exported modernity and an old regime: the French revolutionaries and their dominance over the Ottoman social order that is markedly different in contrast; and, al-Jabarti reports on how it transfers cross-culturally. Levels of contestation, open and/or secretive acceptances give way to losses and gains driven by high emotion – even for this writer. He “describes very carefully every step in the negotiation of the organization of society, from administration to inheritance, from property to charity or from justice to deliberation.”
The Ottoman Empire reached the peak of its power in the 1500s. While other empires were experiencing their downfalls, the Ottoman Empire’s power seemed to be increasing. In fact, this empire can be ranked as the strongest power due to its tactical internal organization of power, minorities, and religion, due to its physical expansion which provided more resources, more advancements, and more people to support the empire, and due to its large military strength that provided security, reduced rebellion, and challenged the other powers.
"Life in Italy During the Renaissance." Italy. Life in Italy, 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. .
Much like that of the Byzantines before them, the Ottoman Empire served as a link between Europe and Asia, and greatly benefited from the profits of the exchange that was perennially flowing over these geographic boundaries; this era came to be known as the Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire. Although there can be many identifications and definitions for the means by which the Ottoman Empire was able to exert such a powerful degree of influence, military right, and cultural dynamism. It will be the purpose of this analysis to discuss and analyze the means by which a continual process of centralization can ultimately be understood as one defining force, that allowed the Ottoman Empire to thrive throughout this period of the “Golden Age.”