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1300
Osman leads the way
To help win a major battle, Osman leads his troops and displaces the Seljuk Turks. He becomes the leader of the new Ottoman dynasty. -
Jun 28, 1389
The Battle of Kosovo
After taking possession of Anatolia, Murad I crowned his life's work by conquering Serbia. It was a rapid and ruthless campaign. -
Jul 20, 1402
Battle of Ankara
The Battle of Ankara or Battle of Angora, fought on July 20, 1402, took place at the field of Çubuk between the forces of the Ottoman sultan Bayezid I and the Turko-Mongol forces of Timur, ruler of the Timurid Empire. -
Nov 10, 1444
Battle of Varna
Turkish victory over a Hungarian force, ending the European powers’ efforts to save Constantinople from Turkish conquest and enabling the Ottoman Empire to confirm and expand its control over the Balkans. The Christian retaliation against the advance of the Muslim Ottoman Turks had come to a bad end, paving the way to the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. -
Aug 22, 1514
Battle of Chaldiran
After the Battle of Chaldiran, fought between the Ottomans and the Persians. The Ottomans decisively routed the Safavids at Chaldiran and went on to march into the Safavid capital and loot it. The battle led to Ottoman territorial expansion into the East, with the whole of Anatolia being annexed along with what are now Kurdish lands. -
1520
Suleyman I reigns
One of the best known and most powerful leaders of the empire is Suleyman I, known as Suleyman the Magnificent. He conquers parts of western Asia and southeast Europe in his desire to convert people to Islam. The Ottoman Empire reaches its peak under his rule. -
Aug 29, 1526
Battle of Mohacs
The Battle of Mohacs near Mohács, Hungary. In the battle, forces of the Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia were defeated by forces of the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. -
1566
A slow decline
At Suleyman I's death, his son Selim II rules. However, he is not like his father. He never goes to fight battles and his government is unstable. During his reign the Turkish fleet is smashed at the Battle of Lepanto in Greece. -
Oct 7, 1571
Battle of Lepanto
The five-hour battle was fought at the northern edge of the Gulf of Patras, off western Greece, where the Ottoman forces sailing westwards from their naval station in Lepanto met the Holy League forces, which had come from Messina. -
Peace of Karlowitz
Right after Mehmet Koprulu died, his brother-in-law, Kara Mustafa, took over the military. In 1699, the Ottomans signed the Peace of Karlowitz. In this treaty, the Ottomans handed over to Austria the provinces of Hungary and Transylvania, leaving only Macedonia and the Balkans under Ottoman control. -
Battle of the Pyramids
The Battle of the Pyramids, also known as the Battle of Embabeh, was a battle fought between the French army in Egypt under Napoleon Bonaparte, and local Mamluk forces. -
Greece revolts
Starting in 1821, Greece revolts against the Ottomans. A long struggle ensues with the Greeks eventually getting help from Britain, France, and Russia. -
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Crimean War
The Crimean War was a military conflict fought from October 1853 to February 1856 in which the Russian Empire lost to an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, Britain and Sardinia. -
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Battle of Vienna
The Battle of Vienna took place on 11 and 12 September 1683 after Vienna had been besieged by the Ottoman Empire for two months. The Battle of Vienna marked the historic end of the expansion of the Ottoman Empire into Europe. -
End of a war and empire
During World War I, the Ottoman Empire sides with the Central Powers. They lose the war, and peace treaties cause the empire to dissolve. The Republic of Turkey is established in 1923. Although in power for over 600 years, the Ottoman Empire will best be remembered for its glory years of strong leadership and cultural influences that affected the lands they conquered.
