The Ottoman Empire.

... Tournis, 1 The Ottoman Empire reigned over Asia Minor, the Balkan Peninsula, North Africa, and the Middle East from the late thirteenth century until its demise in the early twentieth century. After peaking in the mid-1500's, the Ottoman Empire began its long decline, which would, in turn, set off a string of events that affected the outcome of World War I and the twentieth century, as we know it. One of the key events in the Ottoman decline came in 1853 with the outbreak of the Crimean War. The Crimean War began as a dispute between Russia and Turkey (the Ottoman Empire) over the rights of Orthodox Christians in Ottoman occupied territories. Events escalated and eventually Russia was pitted against Great Britain, France, Austro-Hungary, and Turkey over what, on the surface, seemed to be an issue that could be peacefully resolved. What then, were the reasons for the use of military

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