Final answer:
During Thomas Jefferson's presidency, the Barbary States of the Ottoman Empire engaged in the Barbary Wars against the United States due to piracy issues. The Ottoman Empire was controlled by sultans but faced a significant decline due to various internal and external challenges leading up to its collapse after WWI.
Explanation:
The Ottoman Empire, ruled by sultans, was once a formidable power that spread across the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. During the presidency of Thomas Jefferson, a part of the Ottoman Empire's territories, specifically the Barbary States of North Africa, went to war with the United States in what is known as the Barbary Wars. This conflict arose from the Barbary States' practice of pirating American ships in the Mediterranean, leading Jefferson to refuse the continuation of paying tribute for safe passage, and thus opting to use military force to protect American interests.
Despite its former might, by the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the empire began to wane. Technological stagnation, corruption, and weak leadership contributed to its decline, with regions such as Greece, Egypt, and Arabia achieving independence. Moreover, European powers, like Britain and France, influenced and partitioned the fading empire to preserve their own interests in the region, particularly with respect to trade routes and resources.
The collapse of the Ottoman Empire ultimately occurred following World War I. The 1920 Treaty of Sèvres severely reduced Ottoman territories, but the subsequent Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 recognized a reformed and independent Turkey, succeeding the Ottoman government. This left other Ottoman territories divided between the British and French mandates, carving the landscape of the modern Middle East.