How Did The Ottoman Empire Decline

Fatma Göçek aimed to answer the question, what are the main causes behind the Ottoman Empire decline. She provides a perspective for changes especially on the social side of Ottoman Empire in the 18th and 19th centuries and explains how and why the Ottoman Empire declined and was replaced by the Turkish nation state. According to her, the important reason behind the decline of the Ottoman Empire was the rise of the Westernized Ottoman bourgeoisie in the 18th and 19th centuries. She used two methodologies, Weberian and Marxist methodologies, to analyze social changes in Ottoman Empire. The book consists of four main parts and she started her analyze by discussing the Ottoman social structure and the social groups formed in that structure and how that structure was exposed to Westernization. She

Her analyze about how a Western culture affected Ottoman Empire will help the students to understand the demise of the Ottoman Empire better. Also, it is a good guide to understand how a culture can be integrated with other culture. Her analyze about Ottoman Empire is very clear and understandable. She made her analyze about the last two centuries of the empire in the light of Westernization. She argued that the Westernization was the main reason of the demise of the Ottoman Empire. I think she is right in some points. Westernization shook the structure of the Ottoman Empire at its core. However, in my opinion, Westernization was not totally responsible for demise of the Empire. There were lots of reasons behind the fall of the Empire. Ottoman army did not develop itself, and also confusion among the groups in army is a strong reason behind the demise of the Empire. Also, the discovery of the new world and ways affected the economy of the Ottoman Empire and weaken its economy. Also, French revolution was another important and strong cause behind the fall of the Ottoman