With Constantinople as its capital and control of lands around the Mediterranean basin , the Ottoman Empire was at the centre of interactions between the Eastern and Western worlds for six centuries . While the empire was once thought to have entered a period of decline following the death of Suleiman the Magnificent , this view is no longer supported by the majority of academic historians . The empire continued to maintain a flexible and strong economy , society and military throughout the 17th and much of the 18th century . However , during a long period of peace from 1740 to 1768 , the Ottoman military system fell behind that of their European rivals , the Habsburg and Russian empires . The Ottomans consequently suffered severe military defeats in the late 18th and early 19th centuries , which prompted them to initiate a comprehensive process of reform and modernisation known as the Tanzimat . Thus , over the course of the 19th century , the Ottoman state became vastly more powerful and organised , despite suffering further territorial losses , especially in the Balkans , where a number of new states emerged . The empire allied with Germany in the early 20th century , hoping to escape from the diplomatic isolation which had contributed to its recent territorial losses , and thus joined World War I on the side of the Central Powers . While the Empire was able to largely hold its own during the conflict , it was struggling with internal dissent , especially with the Arab Revolt in its Arabian holdings . During this time , genocide was committed by the Ottoman government against the Armenians , Assyrians and Pontic Greeks
Armenians
Armenian Genocide
Ottoman Empire