The Ottoman Empire "Debt Trap": How Britain Bought The Middle East

October 6th, 1875. The Ottoman Empire, once the ruler of three continents, faces an invisible conqueror: debt. In this video, we explore how Britain and European banks turned the empire’s financial weakness into a tool of control, reshaping the Middle East without a single cannon fired. From lavish palaces built with borrowed money to foreign loans that became impossible to repay, the empire fell not on the battlefield but in the ledger books. Learn how the Ottoman Public Debt Administration siphoned state revenues, leaving the empire perpetually underfunded, dependent, and vulnerable to external influence. This story reveals the first modern “debt trap,” a financial blueprint repeated throughout history, showing how borrowing without sustainable planning can compromise sovereignty and economic independence. We’ll trace the empire’s rise and fall, the role of European bankers, and how the debt burden shaped the geopolitics of the Middle East, ultimately influencing the region for decades to come. Whether you’re interested in history, finance, or global power dynamics, this video uncovers the hidden side of empire collapse—where compound interest and clever accounting outweighed armies and navies. Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only and is based on historical research and publicly available sources. Nothing I share constitutes financial, investment, legal, or political advice.