• Empire grew because of three main factors
  • Shrewdness of founder Osman and descendants
  • Control of strategic link between Europe and Asia at Gallipoli
  • Army that combined traditional skills and new technology
• At first, armies concentrated on Christian enemies in Greece and Balkans
• Much of southeastern Europe and Anatolia was under control by 1402
• In 1402, defeat by Timur and capturing of Bayazid I caused civil war
• In 1453, captured Constantinople, ending 1100 years of Byzantine rule
• Suleiman commanded greatest assault on Christian Europe
  • Conquered Belgrade in 1521, laid siege to Vienna in 1529
  • Needed to retreat before winter, saving Vienna’s garrison
• Between 1453 and 1502, had two-century war with Venice
  • Venitians were stifling Ottoman maritime activities in Aegean sea
  • Ottomans let other nations carry trade to and from their ports
  • Lost vital customs revenues when Europeans moved to Cape Route
• Conquest of Christian territories gave prisoners to use as military slaves
• Expanded rapidly from 15th to 17th century using advanced military technology
• Reached extent of the empire in 1683, when failing to capture Vienna
• After 1683, could not rely on conquest to sustain economy and political support