However, this great empire, which lasted for more than 600 years, suffered setbacks on the road of conquering Europe. It gradually fell from its peak from the battle of Vienna in 1683, and eventually became the "sick man of West Asia", and was dismembered by western powers in 1922. The main reason is that I chose the wrong team in World War I and plunged myself into the abyss of perdition.
World War I had nothing to do with the Ottoman Empire, because it was an internal affair of Europe and had good relations with Britain and France. In the Crimean War of 1856, Britain and France helped Osman defeat Russia, but Osman had a good relationship with Germany. So I finally chose to stand with Germany, but this stop completely disintegrated the Ottoman Empire.
In fact, in the eyes of western powers, the collapse of Osman is a matter of time. Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Greece and other countries have long planned and are eyeing it, so the "Oriental problem" about the distribution of benefits after the disintegration of Osman arises spontaneously.
As we all know, the territory of the Ottoman Empire is roughly divided into three parts: the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, Asia Minor in the headquarters and the Arab territory in the Middle East. Before World War I, all Balkan countries were independent, but the Ottoman Empire still controlled the Arab countries in Asia Minor and the Middle East.
The outbreak of World War I led to the demise of the four empires, namely, the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire, but the Ottoman Empire was the worst. This is because the Islamic Ottoman Empire has a deep shadow on the whole of Europe in history, so Europeans want to tear down Ottoman and step on 10 thousand feet to get rid of it. Therefore, there were the Sykes-Picol Agreement and the Severus Treaty, in which the allies dismembered the Ottoman Empire.
Among them, the most greedy Russia and Ottoman Turkey fought for 24 1 year until World War I. The Russians, who pretend to be the heirs of the Roman Empire, want to turn the Black Sea into their own inland sea, seize the coveted Constantinople (now Istanbul), and even move their capital here to fully control the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
France wants Syria and Lebanon, which originally belonged to Osman, to gain a foothold on the east coast of the Mediterranean. Britain wants Ottoman territory to include Egypt, Palestine (Israel), Jordan and Iraq, and Arabs to live there. Italy was originally one of the allies, but as soon as the war broke out, Italy immediately turned against the water. Finally, as a victorious country, I want the south of Osman Asia Minor.
Greece had just been independent from the Ottoman Empire during World War I, and wanted to take advantage of the disintegration of Ottoman to get back the Aegean coast and the remaining European territory of Ottoman.
In other words, Ottoman Turkey was forced to accept the armistice agreement that humiliated the country, and a large area of territory was "entrusted" by the Allies. The former territory will be divided up by the allies. Moreover, Britain also tried to dismember and split Ottoman Turkey with neighboring countries, so that Ottoman Turkey ceased to exist.
At this time, a historical figure who saved Turkey from this tragedy appeared. This man is Kemal, known as the father of Turkey.
After World War I, Kemal, regarded as a hero by the Turks and famous throughout the country and even in Europe, established the National Front in Ankara, playing the banner of "give me independence or give me death" to defend Turkey.
Facing the Sykes-Picol Agreement, the Seville Treaty and the siege of Britain, France, Russia and Italy, Kemal adopted the strategy of exchanging the Arab region for peace and conquering the five countries one by one in order to keep the core territory of Turkey.
As mentioned above, what the French want most is Syria and Lebanon, and Kemal agreed to France's request in exchange for its withdrawal. In fact, the French also lacked the confidence to fight. When they were well, they stopped and signed an armistice agreement with Turkey.
After World War I, Russia was replaced by Russia, which just came to power, was unstable internally and needed a good external environment. Kemal gave up Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in exchange for Russia's recognition of the existing borders. After that, it established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and Russia, and has a stable rear since then.
Italy, which wants to fish in troubled waters, was originally fighting in general. Kemal war, Italy retreat. Plus Kemal gave Italy economic benefits, and Italy's problems were solved.
Only Greece, with Britain as the background, wants to dismember and split Ottoman Turkey. Although Greece has a long history, it was ravaged by the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire, and thousands of years of hatred were counted on Turkey. Therefore, Greece is bent on defeating Turkey. Of course, the British also hope this result, because it wants to control Istanbul.
Thus, in June of 1920, Greece, at the instigation of Britain, launched a great war against Turkey. However, after this move, Greece found itself no match for Turkey. Kemal commanded the army to drive the Greek army out of Turkey. And in 1922, Kemal personally led the army into the fortress of Izmir, Greece, and defeated the Greek army.
1923 In July, Turkey signed the Treaty of Lausanne with Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Greece and other countries in Switzerland. Turkey kept the core territory of Asia Minor at the expense of giving up Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine and Jordan, and made the powers recognize Turkey's independence and sovereign integrity.
Although Turkey, which has the core territory of Asia Minor, is only 780,000 square kilometers, it can't be compared with the huge Ottoman Empire of that year, but without Kemal's desperate struggle, I'm afraid even this can't be held. Although the loss was too great, it was the best ending for Turkey at that time. It can be said that Kemal saved the Ottoman Empire, which had been dismembered and divided, and successfully carried out the modern secularization reform of this ancient Islamic Empire, becoming the "father of the country" of Turkey, which also made Turkey a European country with a land area second only to Russia.