The Ottomans nearly broke Europe — but their rise wasn’t just about armies. Weather, pirates, and shocking alliances decided history.
Historian Si Sheppard joins Why Wars Happened to reveal the surprising reasons behind the Ottoman Empire’s explosive power — and why its wars looked nothing like what you learned in school.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome to Why Wars Happened
00:51 – Meet Si Sheppard
01:32 – How the Ottoman Empire shaped the modern world
04:43 – Was this the first global war?
07:03 – Key leaders on both sides
09:51 – The Protestant Reformation’s role
13:03 – Why Morocco mattered so much
16:03 – The Ottoman–French alliance explained
16:34 – Barbary pirates & imperial influence
17:14 – Eyewitness accounts from the frontlines
20:01 – Portugal vs. Ottoman expansion
21:29 – Lasting impact on Europe
21:49 – When weather changed everything
26:25 – Could the Ottomans have gone further?
29:41 – Wrapping up + book recommendation
#OttomanEmpire #HiddenHistory #WhyWarsHappened #MilitarySecrets #WorldHistory
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