The other fact so often ignored is that the Ottomans were in fact an European power (their base for expansion was the Balkans)... That expansion destroyed the Serb and Croatian Kingdoms and laid the foundation of the multi-ethnic tensions there today...
On Apr 15, 6:14 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > To be honest, I don't know much about those details. A siege failed., > Gallipoli, etc. My studies were in literature and classics which tends > to fiction rather than history- though history is the most interesting > story of all, isn't it? > > On Apr 15, 4:43 pm, jgg1000a <[email protected]> wrote: > > > But while Europe's King Kong, much golds and blood was spent on > > defending Europe against Ottoman aggression... Austria/Hungary, > > Russia, and Prussia were the beneficiaries of the 200 year Spanish- > > Ottoman-Iranian-Portugese/Dutch slug fest > > > On Apr 15, 4:56 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > The silk route changed to sea lanes- which included the Dardanelles/ > > > Hellespont which was strategic for Russia and Britain along with the > > > Suez Canal. The oil lines from the Caspian/Caucasus hinges on peaceful > > > nations as a route to the West. The path to the Mediterranean has > > > changed a couple of times- have not read about it recently. Think the > > > Balkans were also involved and, of course, Russia and Iran and > > > Chechnya. Syria and Turkey to the east. It's a very rich oil basin in > > > the midst of nightmare regarding extraction and transport safety. It > > > may ruin the Caspian and caviar- don't know where I picked up that > > > thought, however.// The West was still bribing Turkey with lavish > > > gifts until WWI and the Ottoman defeat. Have read Lebanese writing on > > > the equal cruelty of Britain and Turkey. My grandparents left for > > > America and I thought I would never venture to Turkey based on their > > > story but I did and enjoyed my visit to Istanbul with my youngest son > > > four years ago. An amazing city!//"My Name is Red" is a marvelous > > > novel about the empire- Pamuk(?)- it was a library book- the structure > > > was brilliant. Also got halfway through another-"Snow" dealing with > > > suicides and scarves for the women.// > > > > On Apr 15, 9:17 am, jgg1000a <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > The Ottoman Empire arose when land trading routes between Asia and > > > > Europe were KIng... And they, like any rising power took advantage of > > > > new technologies of the day (the cannon)... Like an Interstate > > > > Highway bypassing a town, The Ottoman Empire centrality to trade route > > > > were reduced over time to the backwater (over 200 years)... And of > > > > course the Industrial Revolution of 1750 was a British notion which > > > > the Ottomans ignored to their further demise... Yet in 1686 they > > > > were the dominant East European Power... The Hapsbergs and the Tsars > > > > learned from their European rivals while Iran was warring with the > > > > Ottomans and after 1700 the Ottomans went into their long and prolong > > > > decline... > > > > > On Apr 14, 11:18 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > For a while the Ottoman Empire managed the Middle East but grew > > > > > corrupt and was a delicious morsel for Russia, Britain and France to > > > > > slice up. > > > > > > On Apr 14, 10:06 pm, plainolamerican <[email protected]> > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > India matters > > > > > > --- > > > > > > to who? pirates? > > > > > > they're as screwed up as the ME > > > > > > > On Apr 14, 4:56 pm, jgg1000a <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > and will matter more and more to US global interests... If Obama > > > > > > > was > > > > > > > the brain many say he is, he SHOULD have understood that... Why > > > > > > > Obama should memo Obama "Pay attention to India dummy"... Piracy > > > > > > > is > > > > > > > located in the Indian Ocean for GOOD reasons... > > > > > > > >http://www.tampabay.com/news/perspective/article990022.ece > > > > > > > > >>> Like a microcosm of the world at large, the greater Indian > > > > > > > >>> Ocean region is developing into an area of both ferociously > > > > > > > >>> guarded sovereignty and astonishing interdependence. And for > > > > > > > >>> the first time since the Portuguese onslaught in the region > > > > > > > >>> in the early 16th century, the West's power there is in > > > > > > > >>> decline, however subtly and relatively. The Indians and the > > > > > > > >>> Chinese will enter into a dynamic great-power rivalry in > > > > > > > >>> these waters, with their shared economic interests as major > > > > > > > >>> trading partners locking them in an uncomfortable embrace. > > > > > > > >>> The United States, meanwhile, will serve as a stabilizing > > > > > > > >>> power in this newly complex area. Indispensability, rather > > > > > > > >>> than dominance, must be its goal.- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
