The 1909 Countercoup and the Ottoman Empire's Islamist Challenge

The 1913 Ottoman Coup That Sealed the Empire's Fate

In January 1913, a small group of Young Turk officers stormed the Ottoman government building in a bold coup that would set the empire on an irreversible path to World War I. This episode dives into the Bab-ı Ali Baskını, the raid on the Sublime Porte led by Enver Bey and Talat Bey, which overthrew the Kamil Pasha government and installed a hardline İttihat ve Terakki (Committee of Union and Progress) regime. We explore the immediate aftermath: the assassination of Grand Vizier Mahmut Şevket Paşa, the consolidation of the Three Pashas (Enver, Talat, and Cemal), and the shift toward German military influence. The coup's context includes the disastrous First Balkan War, the loss of Edirne, and the empire's desperate attempts to hold onto its European territories. We also examine how this power grab alienated non-Turkish minorities and set the stage for wartime deportations and the Armenian Genocide. A pivotal, bloody moment that turned the Ottoman Empire into a military dictatorship and sealed its collapse. #1913OttomanCoup #BabıAliBaskını #YoungTurks #İttihatveTerakki #EnverPaşa #TalatPaşa #CemalPaşa #MahmutŞevketPaşa #KamilPaşa #BalkanWars #Edirne #ThreePashas #OttomanEmpire #WorldWarI #History #FexingoHistory #MiddleEastHistory #Coups Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Ottoman Empire's Desert War That Dragged It Down

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how the Ottoman Empire's involvement in the Libyan desert—specifically the 1911–1912 Italo-Turkish War—acted as a final pressure point before World War I. They focus on the little-known Battle of Sciara Sciatt on October 23, 1911, where Ottoman-led Arab and Berber fighters inflicted heavy losses on Italian troops near Tripoli. The discussion covers the roles of Enver Bey and Mustafa Kemal, the impact of Italian aerial bombing (the first in history), and the long-term consequences of losing Libya as a training ground for officers. The hosts also touch on the use of Senussi tribesmen and the legacy of Omar Mukhtar. The episode ties together military, political, and social threads showing how this desert conflict drained Ottoman resources and morale. #OttomanEmpire #ItaloTurkishWar #Libya #SciaraSciat #EnverPasha #MustafaKemal #Senussi #OmarMukhtar #Tripoli #1911 #DesertWar #History #FexingoHistory #MiddleEast #WWI #Colonialism #AerialBombing #Battle Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The 1913 Ottoman Coup That Sealed the Empire's Fate

In January 1913, a small group of Committee of Union and Progress officers stormed the Sublime Porte, assassinated the war minister, and forced the grand vizier to resign at gunpoint. This episode examines the Bab-ı Ali Baskını — the Sublime Porte Raid — and how it destroyed the last chance for Ottoman recovery after the Balkan Wars. We follow Enver Bey's dramatic entrance into the War Ministry, the killing of Mahmut Şevket Paşa, and the establishment of the 'Three Pashas' triumvirate that would lead the empire into World War I. Along the way, we consider the role of the Teşkilât-ı Mahsusa, the impact on the 1913 London Conference, and how this coup transformed the Ottoman government from a constitutional monarchy into a one-party dictatorship. The episode also touches on the forgotten figure of Mehmed Said Halim Paşa and the surprising survival of the Şeyhülislam. We end by asking whether a different outcome in 1913 could have changed the empire's disastrous entry into the Great War. #OttomanEmpire #1913Coup #BabıAliBaskını #EnverPasha #ThreePashas #BalkanWars #SublimePorte #MahmutŞevketPaşa #İttihatveTerakki #CUP #TeşkilatıMahsusa #MehmedSaidHalim #LondonConference #WorldWarI #ConstitutionalCrisis #History #FexingoHistory #MiddleEast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Ottoman Empire's 1683 Vienna Disaster

In 1683, the Ottoman Empire under Grand Vizier Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Paşa launched a massive campaign to capture Vienna, the Habsburg capital. But a series of tactical blunders—delays in the march, failure to seal the mountain passes, and a disastrous overreliance on siege warfare—allowed a Polish-led relief army under King John III Sobieski to crush the Ottoman forces at Kahlenberg. This episode explores the battle's pivotal moments: the role of the winged hussars, the internal politics of the Köprülü era, and how the defeat shattered the myth of Ottoman invincibility. We also examine the long-term consequences: the Holy League's counter-offensive, the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699, and the beginning of two centuries of territorial retreat. The battle is often remembered as a clash of civilizations, but the real story is one of hubris, logistics, and a single, fateful decision. #SiegeOfVienna #MerzifonluKaraMustafaPasa #HolyLeague #WingedHussars #Kahlenberg #1683 #OttomanEmpire #Habsburg #JohnIIIISobieski #Vienna #LeopoldI #Janissaries #Köprülü #MilitaryHistory #EasternEurope #History #FexingoHistory #OttomanCollapse Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Ottoman Empire's 1826 Auspicious Incident and Janissary Destruction

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the 1826 Auspicious Incident, the violent destruction of the Janissary corps by Sultan Mahmud II. They discuss the Janissaries' evolution from elite soldiers to a reactionary political force, the triggering rebellion, the cannon massacre at the Etmeydanı, and the establishment of the new Asakir-i Mansure-i Muhammediye army. The conversation touches on the Bektaşi Sufi order's ties to the Janissaries, the role of the ulema in legitimizing the purge, and how this event cleared the path for the Tanzimat reforms. They also consider the long-term consequences: removing a powerful conservative obstacle but also eliminating a military institution that had been a pillar of the state for centuries. #OttomanEmpire #AuspiciousIncident #Janissaries #SultanMahmudII #1826 #Vaka-iHayriye #Asakir-iMansure #Bektasi #Tanzimat #Istanbul #Etmeydanı #CannonMassacre #MilitaryReform #OttomanHistory #Ulema #History #FexingoHistory #OttomanDecline Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]