This week on Why Wars Happened, we’re diving into the rise of the Ottoman Empire with Si Sheppard—Associate Professor of Political Science at Long Island University and author of Crescent Dawn: The Rise of the Ottoman Empire and the Making of the Modern Age.

Si joins us to talk about why the Ottomans matter more than most people realize. From unexpected alliances to bold military campaigns, we unpack how this empire helped shape the world we live in. We get into the global ripple effects of 16th-century power struggles, the role of economics in empire building, and how weather—yes, weather—could make or break an army.

Whether you're into big-picture history or the gritty details of war, this episode brings the Ottoman story to life in a fresh and surprising way.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome to Why Wars Happened

00:51 – Meet Si Sheppard

01:32 – How the Ottoman Empire helped build the modern world

04:43 – Was this the first global war?

07:03 – Key leaders on both sides of the conflict

09:51 – The Protestant Reformation’s unexpected role

13:03 – Why Morocco mattered so much

14:56 – What if history had gone differently?

16:03 – On-the-ground reality of the Ottoman-French alliance

16:34 – Barbary pirates and imperial influence

17:14 – Eyewitness accounts from the frontlines

18:30 – How Europe tried—and often failed—to push back

20:01 – Portugal’s role in stopping Ottoman expansion

21:29 – Long-term impact on European power structures

21:49 – How the weather changed everything

26:25 – Could the Ottomans have gone further?

27:31 – The bigger picture

29:41 – Wrapping up + a book you’ll want to read

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INTERVIEW: The Ottoman Empire Like You’ve Never Heard It with Si Sheppard

Hey guys, welcome back to the Why Wars Happened History Podcast, where you learn about the causes of wars and things like, why did it happen? Was it inevitable? Who was involved?

Sometimes I go back hundreds of years just so we can understand what happened in our narrative episodes covering the long course of a war and the background of the war. And if you want to talk more about war, we also have authors, historians, war generals, royalty, actors, filmmakers, a whole bunch of people come on as guests and we talk about everything about before, during, and after war. So let's go!

The Why Wars Happened History Podcast covers The American Revolution, World War I, World War II, Medieval Wars in England, The Habsburg Empire, The War in Iraq, Scottish wars, The War of the Roses, The Cuban Missile Crisis, The Cold War, The Thirty Years War, The Hundred Years War, The American Civil War, and many others.

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