Europeans Claim Muslim Lands

I. Europeans Grab Territory

1800s: North Africa = Ottomans Geopolitics: an interest in or taking of land

for its strategic location of products Ottomans: controlled access to Med. & Atl. Landlocked countries had to go thru

Ottoman lands (Russia)

A. Russia & the Crimean War

Russia = wanted land on Black Sea 1853: war betw. Russians & Otts.

Crimean War (Crimean Pen.) Brits. & Fr. allied w/Otts. to stop Russia Ott. Emp’s. weakness revealed WWI = small & in decline

II. British in Egypt

Egypt = ruled by Ott. khedive by mid-1800s 1854: Ferdinand de Lesseps began Suez

Canal Egyptian govt. bought ½ of stock in co. Fr. citizens bought rest

1869: canal was completed Khedive = Isma’il (big spender)

Increased debt by 2,000%

Isma’il = sell stock in Suez Canal Gave Brits. opp. to control canal

1875: Brits. = largest single stockholder

1879: Isma’il was deposed His successor was challenged by nationalist group

(rebellion) 1882: Brits. occupied Egypt

Brit. fleet attacked Alexandria Occupied Cairo