Mehmed II earned the epithet Fatih or “the Conqueror” when he captured Constantinople in 1453, and it’s lucky for him that he did, really. If he didn’t already have a slick nickname by the time of his failed effort to capture Belgrade, I can imagine he might have been saddled with a much less flattering one instead. … Continue reading Today in European history: the Siege of Belgrade ends (1456)
Tag: history
Today in European History: the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (1774)
The Treaty of Karlowitz (1699) marked the end of the Ottoman Empire’s tenure as the heavyweight military power in Eastern Europe. Then passed several decades where the Ottomans won some, probably lost more, but still sort of held their own. But the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, signed on this date in 1774, marked the point where European … Continue reading Today in European History: the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (1774)
Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Ankara (1402)
July 20, 1402: the Central Asian conqueror Timur defeats the young Ottoman Empire so decisively that the Ottomans are thrown into chaos for the next 11 years.
Today in European history: the Battle of Guadalete (711)
On or around this date in 711 Berber and Visigothic armies met in the Battle of Guadalete, one of the decisive engagements in the Islamic conquest of Iberia and establishment of al-Andalus.
The History of Turkey’s Diyanet
Kristin Fabbe and Kimberly Guiler, at The Washington Post's "Monkey Cage" blog, looked at the proliferation of conspiracy theories surrounding last week's attempted coup in Turkey. In their piece, they made a point about a Turkish institution that probably deserves more explanation than they were able to give it, the Diyanet: Turkey’s self-avowed secularists also … Continue reading The History of Turkey’s Diyanet
Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Aqaba (1917)
The World War I Battle of Aqaba took place on this date in 1917.
Today in North African history: Muhammad Ahmad declares himself the Mahdi (1881)
June 29, 1881: Sudanese Sufi leader Muhammad Ahmad declares that he is the Mahdi. This inaugurated the Mahdist War with Egypt and, later, Britain, which lasted until 1899.
Today in European history: the sack of Baltimore (1631)
We don't often talk about Irish history around here, but the travels of the Barbary corsairs (who are often treated as simply a Mediterranean phenomenon) can take you to some unexpected places, and I think it's fun to occasionally point how just how far their reach extended. In this case, it extended all the way … Continue reading Today in European history: the sack of Baltimore (1631)
Today in European history: the Battle of Kosovo (1389)
Today is the anniversary of the 1389 Battle of Kosovo. It’s necessary to specify the year because there have been so many “battles of Kosovo” over the centuries. But this one, in contrast with 1369’s Battle of Kosovo or 1448’s Battle of Kosovo or 1831’s Battle of…well, you get the idea, is the one most … Continue reading Today in European history: the Battle of Kosovo (1389)
Today in North African history: the Battle of Fakhkh (786)
Allow me to introduce a word that may be unfamiliar to some of you: Alid. In Middle Eastern studies, “Alid” refers to descendants of Ali, so it’s related to Shiʿism (which comes from shiʿat ʿAli, or “the partisans of Ali”) though clearly not synonymous with that term. Where the two terms can overlap and become … Continue reading Today in North African history: the Battle of Fakhkh (786)
The Foreign Exchanges Companion 