By the end of the 18th century, the Ottoman Empire was no longer feared—it was diagnosed. European powers now called it the “Sick Man of Europe,” and for the first time, survival depended not on conquest, but on reform.

This episode of The Gilded Sword follows the empire’s century-long struggle to modernize in a world that was leaving it behind. It begins with Selim III and his doomed Nizam-ı Cedid, the first attempt to build a Western-style army—crushed by Janissary revolt and palace intrigue. From there, Mahmud II strikes back with the Auspicious Incident, annihilating the Janissaries and dragging the empire into the modern age by force.

But reform brings new dangers. Greek independence shatters the illusion of unity. Muhammad Ali of Egypt nearly destroys the empire from within. And as the Tanzimat reforms promise equality, railways, and law, they also awaken nationalist movements that the state can no longer contain.

The drama peaks in war and humiliation. The heroic defense of Plevna cannot stop Russian armies from reaching the gates of Istanbul. The Congress of Berlin dismembers Ottoman Europe. Desperation gives way to autocracy under Abdul Hamid II, who rules through spies, censorship, and Pan-Islamic appeal—while quietly expanding schools, railways, and a new officer class.

That officer class will be his undoing.

In 1908, the Young Turks force the restoration of the constitution, ending three decades of personal rule and opening the final chapter of Ottoman history.

From reform to repression, from hope to fracture, this is the story of an empire trying to become a nation—and discovering that change can be as dangerous as decline.