Why the Ottoman Empire Lasted 600 Years

Institutions, tolerance, military reform, and why most empires collapse faster.

INTRO — MOST EMPIRES FAIL FAST

Empires usually burn bright and collapse quickly.

Alexander’s empire shattered within years.
The Mongols fractured within generations.
Napoleon’s empire barely survived a decade.

The Ottoman Empire?

Founded c. 1299. Ended 1922.

Over six centuries of survival across three continents.

This was not accidental.

The Ottomans endured because they built an empire designed to adapt, not dominate recklessly.

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