Felix Samchenko
Postgraduate student of department of ancient and medieval history,
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv,
Kyiv, Ukraine
E-mail: samchenkofelix_115gmail.com@knu.ua
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000–0001–6371–8675
DOI: 10.17721/2522-4611.2026.54.1
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE: ASSESSMENT OF THE VENETIAN DIPLOMATS
Relevance. Among foreign states, the Republic of Venice was best informed about the internal affairs of the Ottoman Empire. One of its diplomats' duties was to collect and analyze data on the structure and development of the Ottoman Porte. In particular, the study examines the reports of Domenico Trevisano, Marino Cavalli, Marcanatonio Barbaro and others. In their reports, they pay a lot of attention to various aspects of the internal political life of the Ottomans. This is quite important for the present, since for any state it is vital to learn to adequately analyze its neighbors and opponents, forming a holistic and maximally realistic picture of them.
Scientific novelty. This study is one of the first to comprehensively analyze the Venetian view of the internal Ottoman socio-political system and is based on authentic sources that have not been sufficiently introduced into Ukrainian scientific circulation. We are talking about Venetian reports, translations of which are still missing in Ukrainian scientific literature, with the exception of fragmentary details.
The aim. Accordingly, the purpose of the article can be formulated as an attempt to establish how adequate a foreign view of the internal political features of development is.
The methodology. The article is based on the methodological principles of historicism and objectivity. Of the general scientific methods, the analysis occupies a prominent place, which allows the general considerations of Venetian diplomats regarding the stability and functioning of the Ottoman Empire to be parceled out into separate areas of internal Ottoman development with subsequent detailed research into their strengths and weaknesses, respectively.
Findings. Thus, the diplomats point out that one of the key aspects of the organizational vertical in the Ottoman Empire is the presence of a system in which positions are obtained by persons who have demonstrated an appropriate level of qualities, despite their slavish Christian origin. In addition, they note as one of the central advantages the stable functionality of the Ottoman army, which does not depend on financial support from foreign mercenaries, as was the case in the West. And, finally, the deep religiosity of the Ottomans, according to the ambassadors, is a central factor in their dominance. Along with this, the Venetian ambassadors also note a number of shortcomings of the Omani state. Among them are growing corruption, leading to the degradation of the administrative vertical, an imperfect system of succession, which carries the risks of civil war as a key destabilizing factor of the Ottoman Porte, which could ultimately lead to its collapse, and weak protection expressed in the lack of well-protected borders. As a conclusion, we can agree with the diplomats' theses regarding the religiosity of the Turks, the significance of the potential of the army, assembled on a regular basis, and the threat of corruption. But the statement about the great perfection of the personnel selection system is ambiguous not so much because of its imperfection, but because the same corruption undermined this approach. The diplomats' beliefs about the threat of civil war, which never occurred in full-scale form, and when it did occur, did not cause significant damage to the state, as they saw it.
Key words: oriental studies, history of the Medieval East, history of the Middle Ages and Early Modern Times, Venetian Republic, Ottoman Empire, Venetian diplomats, internal affairs, strengths, weaknesses, functionality, religiosity.
Received 23.03.2026.
Revised 14.04.2026.
Accepted 20.04.2026.
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