During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Ottoman Empire became one of the strongest states in the world, encompassing much of the Middle East, Eastern Europe and North Africa. In addition to military might, what helped to ensure this expansion was the Ottomans' tolerance of the traditions and religions of the conquered peoples.
The empire began to decline in the 17th century. The economic activities of the conquered peoples were conducted on their own initiative, which caused the general economy of the empire to slowly disintegrate. Political instability increased more and more until, in 1909, the sultan - as Ottoman leaders were called - Abdul Hamid II was overthrown by a rebellion. This change initiated the modernization of the empire, largely influenced by Germany, alongside whom the Turks fought in the First World War (1914-1918). The defeat in the confrontation further disrupted the already torn empire, which was abolished shortly after, in 1923, when the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed.