Eli5 Why didn’t the Ottoman Empire expand more into Africa?
In: 228
The Ottomans would have to expand at the expense of Ethiopia, which was a large regional power. They could not focus on there due to fighting the HRE (primarily the Austrians), the Spanish, the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth, and the Persians. The Ottomans did have conflicts and conquests in the region (the Habesh Eyalet), but recognized that it would be better to have a stable border there while dealing with all the other powers around them. Lastly, they just didn’t prioritize it as highly compared to other regions.
Latest Answers