The Great (European) Powers and the Ottoman Empire: the Eastern Question, 1768-1914
The decline of the Ottoman Empire shaped the relations with and between the Great Powers, giving birth to new countries and spheres of influence, the legacy of which is still felt to this day.
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In this course, we will analyse how the decline of the Ottoman Empire from the late 18th century played a fundamental role in shaping the relations with and between the Great Powers: Britain, Russia, France, Austria /Austria-Hungary, and Prussia / Germany. We will also study the consequences of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans, around the Mediterranean basin, and part of the Caucasus. The Eastern Question may have been largely forgotten in Western Europe, but in these regions, the populations are still living with its legacies. Therefore, what happened between 1768 and 1914 is essential to understand this part of the world.
What will we cover?
• The emergence of the Eastern Question in the late 18th century
• The consequences of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars in Ottoman lands
• The independence of Greece
• The Crimean War
• The Great Eastern Crisis
• The Treaty of Berlin and its consequences
• The Egyptian question
• The Young Turk Revolution and its implications
• The First and Second Balkan Wars
• The Eastern Question on the eve of the Great War.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Explain what is meant by the “Eastern Question”
Analyse the factors that led to the progressive weakening of the Ottoman Empire from the late 18th century
Analyse the role of the Great Powers in the independence of Greece
Explain why the Crimean War was fought and analyse its consequences
Discuss constructively the consequences of the Treaty of Berlin on the Balkans, with particular references to Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Romania, and Bulgaria.
Assess the long-term consequences of the First and Second Balkan Wars.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
Some background knowledge about European history would be useful but is not essential.
A good standard of English is required.
An open mind and willingness to participate, respectfully, in class discussion and debate.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The course will be a combination of lectures, backed by PowerPoint presentations, and discussions in large and small groups. Handouts will be given in each class. Material to prepare the discussions will be available on the course website.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Please bring a pen and paper. Books will be recommended but students are not required to purchase them if they do not wish. This is not an exam course. There are no extra costs.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
HEH104 The Great (European) Powers and the creation of the Middle East, 1914-1948
After under- and post-graduate studies in Politics and History in both France and the UK, Sébastien settled in London. He has been teaching at the City Lit since 2001. Over the years, he has covered many different subjects, including politics, history, economy and culture of Latin America, French modern history, European history, global issues and current affairs. In his classes, Sébastien hopes to give learners the skills, tools and information that can help them not only to make sense of the world we live in but also to understand the origins of the key issues we face.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/the-great-european-powers-and-the-ottoman-empire-the-eastern-question-1768-19141442254The Great (European) Powers and the Ottoman Empire: the Eastern Question, 1768-1914https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/g/r/great-european-powers-ottoman-heh30-square.jpg329329GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/European history22851177117811821228511771178<p>The decline of the Ottoman Empire shaped the relations with and between the Great Powers, giving birth to new countries and spheres of influence, the legacy of which is still felt to this day.</p>003030973The Great (European) Powers and the Ottoman Empire: the Eastern Question, 1768-1914329329https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/g/r/great-european-powers-ottoman-heh30-square_5.jpgInStockDaytimeWedKeeley StreetAvailable courses11 weeks or longerWeekday2026-09-16T00:00:00+00:00Sep 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHEH97329329The Great (European) Powers and the Ottoman Empire: the Eastern Question, 1768-1914263214329Sebastien Ardouinthe-great-european-powers-and-the-ottoman-empire-the-eastern-question-1768-1914/heh97-2627<p>The decline of the Ottoman Empire shaped the relations with and between the Great Powers, giving birth to new countries and spheres of influence, the legacy of which is still felt to this day.</p>0000-Available|2026-09-16 00:00:00<p>In this course, we will analyse how the decline of the Ottoman Empire from the late 18th century played a fundamental role in shaping the relations with and between the Great Powers: Britain, Russia, France, Austria /Austria-Hungary, and Prussia / Germany. We will also study the consequences of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans, around the Mediterranean basin, and part of the Caucasus. The Eastern Question may have been largely forgotten in Western Europe, but in these regions, the populations are still living with its legacies. Therefore, what happened between 1768 and 1914 is essential to understand this part of the world.</p><p>The decline of the Ottoman Empire shaped the relations with and between the Great Powers, giving birth to new countries and spheres of influence, the legacy of which is still felt to this day.</p><p>• The emergence of the Eastern Question in the late 18th century</p><p>• The consequences of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars in Ottoman lands</p><p>• The independence of Greece</p><p>• The Crimean War</p><p>• The Great Eastern Crisis</p><p>• The Treaty of Berlin and its consequences</p><p>• The Egyptian question</p><p>• The Young Turk Revolution and its implications</p><p>• The First and Second Balkan Wars</p><p>• The Eastern Question on the eve of the Great War.</p><p>Explain what is meant by the “Eastern Question”</p><p>Analyse the factors that led to the progressive weakening of the Ottoman Empire from the late 18th century</p><p>Analyse the role of the Great Powers in the independence of Greece</p><p>Explain why the Crimean War was fought and analyse its consequences</p><p>Discuss constructively the consequences of the Treaty of Berlin on the Balkans, with particular references to Bosnia</p><p>and Herzegovina, Romania, and Bulgaria.</p><p>Assess the long-term consequences of the First and Second Balkan Wars.</p><p>Some background knowledge about European history would be useful but is not essential.</p><p>A good standard of English is required.</p><p>An open mind and willingness to participate, respectfully, in class discussion and debate. </p>The course will be a combination of lectures, backed by PowerPoint presentations, and discussions in large and small groups. Handouts will be given in each class. Material to prepare the discussions will be available on the course website.Please bring a pen and paper.<br> Books will be recommended but students are not required to purchase them if they do not wish.<br> This is not an exam course.<br> There are no extra costs.<p>HEH104 The Great (European) Powers and the creation of the Middle East, 1914-1948</p>HistoryEuropean historyvirtual263329214HEH97NONEWed16/09/26 - 09/12/2612:45 - 14:4512:4514:4512 sessions (over 13 weeks)1211 weeks or longerDaytimeWeekdayKSKeeley StreetSebastien ArdouinAvailable courses2026-09-16T00:00:00+00:00Sep 2026Culture, history & humanities329329The Great (European) Powers and the Ottoman Empire: the Eastern Question, 1768-1914the-great-european-powers-and-the-ottoman-empire-the-eastern-question-1768-1914/heh97-2627<p>The decline of the Ottoman Empire shaped the relations with and between the Great Powers, giving birth to new countries and spheres of influence, the legacy of which is still felt to this day.</p>0000-Available|2026-09-16 00:00:00<p>In this course, we will analyse how the decline of the Ottoman Empire from the late 18th century played a fundamental role in shaping the relations with and between the Great Powers: Britain, Russia, France, Austria /Austria-Hungary, and Prussia / Germany. We will also study the consequences of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans, around the Mediterranean basin, and part of the Caucasus. The Eastern Question may have been largely forgotten in Western Europe, but in these regions, the populations are still living with its legacies. Therefore, what happened between 1768 and 1914 is essential to understand this part of the world.</p><p>The decline of the Ottoman Empire shaped the relations with and between the Great Powers, giving birth to new countries and spheres of influence, the legacy of which is still felt to this day.</p><p>• The emergence of the Eastern Question in the late 18th century</p><p>• The consequences of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars in Ottoman lands</p><p>• The independence of Greece</p><p>• The Crimean War</p><p>• The Great Eastern Crisis</p><p>• The Treaty of Berlin and its consequences</p><p>• The Egyptian question</p><p>• The Young Turk Revolution and its implications</p><p>• The First and Second Balkan Wars</p><p>• The Eastern Question on the eve of the Great War.</p><p>Explain what is meant by the “Eastern Question”</p><p>Analyse the factors that led to the progressive weakening of the Ottoman Empire from the late 18th century</p><p>Analyse the role of the Great Powers in the independence of Greece</p><p>Explain why the Crimean War was fought and analyse its consequences</p><p>Discuss constructively the consequences of the Treaty of Berlin on the Balkans, with particular references to Bosnia</p><p>and Herzegovina, Romania, and Bulgaria.</p><p>Assess the long-term consequences of the First and Second Balkan Wars.</p><p>Some background knowledge about European history would be useful but is not essential.</p><p>A good standard of English is required.</p><p>An open mind and willingness to participate, respectfully, in class discussion and debate.&nbsp;</p>The course will be a combination of lectures, backed by PowerPoint presentations, and discussions in large and small groups. Handouts will be given in each class. Material to prepare the discussions will be available on the course website.Please bring a pen and paper.<br> Books will be recommended but students are not required to purchase them if they do not wish.<br> This is not an exam course.<br> There are no extra costs.<p>HEH104&nbsp;The Great (European) Powers and the creation of the Middle East, 1914-1948</p>HistoryEuropean historyconfigurable
11821178European historyhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/history/european-history1/2/285/1177/1178/11821/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/European history
