The Ottoman Turks and the Routes of Oriental Trade from The English Historical Review, October 1915

"The Ottoman Turks and the Routes of Oriental Trade" by Albert Howe Lybyer is a historical exploration of the Ottoman Empire's ascent from the late 1200s to the early 1500s, analyzing its profound effects on the ancient trade pathways between the East and West. It unpacks the intricate power struggles that impacted trade currents and how different empires, most notably the Ottomans, caused rerouting. Lybyer studies the complex relationships between the Turks, rival empires, and trade routes during a critical time, asserting that the empire's increasing power reshaped trade; the shift made European powers search for different trade routes around Africa. Throughout the work, Lybyer compares different opinions on how Turkish expansion affected commerce, clarifying how political events shaped financial trends. It ultimately suggests that Turkish conquests and the emergence of ocean-based routes led to long-term economic changes, although the Turks did not deliberately try to stop trade.