Europe Claims Muslims Lands

Ch. 11.3

Death of Suleyman I

• 1) A succession of Weak Rulers

• 2) Division into Factions, Corruption, Economic and Technological decline

Rise of Nationalism

• Inspired Greeks, Serbs and other groups in Ottoman Empire to fight for self-rule

Geopolitics-taking land for its strategic location or products

• Access to sea trade routes focuses attention on Ottoman lands

• 1) World powers forced alliances or waged war to gain control of the Ottoman Empire because of its strategic geographic location.

Crimean War

• To gain land on the Black Sea, Russia fought and lost a war against the Ottomans and their allies the British and the French

• The war highlighted the military weakness of the Ottoman Empire and ultimately the Ottomans lost most of their land.

Construction of the Suez Canal

• When Egypt ran into problems paying for the construction, Britain insisted on overseeing financial control of the canal and, in 1882 occupied the country.

Discovery of Oil in Persia (Iran)

• Lacking capital to develop its resources, Persia granted concession to European businesses

• Rebellion followed and eventually Britain and Russia divided Persia into a sphere of influence

The policies European nations used to gain control of Muslim Lands

• Created sphere of influence

• Practiced economic imperialism