History: The Decline of the Ottoman Empire 1800-1892

This first part of two courses on the decline and fall of the Ottoman Empire focuses on its slow decline in the 19th century. We look at several attempts to reform and modernise government, military, the economy in the 19th century as well as the main events of the period including the ‘Tanzimat’ Reforms, the Crimean War, the Young Ottoman Movement and the Bulgarian Uprising of 1876. We consider the short-lived adoption of constitution government and the reimposition of Sultanic rule as well as the First Armenian Genocide of 1896. More broadly we consider geo-political issues and the importance of the Empire in diplomatic and strategic manoeuvres between Great Britain, France and Russia. We cover the rise of nationalism in the region with particular attention to the Balkans, Greece, Armenians and the Jewish Diaspora within the Empire. We also look at broad cultural developments in art, literature and intellectual life. We look at Western influences and the impact of Orientalism on the Empire and Europe. The course tells a fascinating and much ignored story and has much to reveal about major issues in our own times from Russia to Israel and the wider Middle East. The course will feature a wealth of documentary sources, historical analysis, art and literature.