A Study Of Commercial And Trade Relationship Between The Republic Of Venice And The Ottoman Empire (1453-1718)

In1453, the Ottoman Empire captured Constantinople, whichmeans the Byzantine Empire has ended and the Ottoman Empire hasbecome a powerful country that other countries cannot be ignoredwithin the Eastern Mediterranean world. Meanwhile, it isunavoidable that another commercial Empire Venice which islocated around the Eastern Mediterranean was facing a threat fromthe expansion of Ottomans, especially in terms of commercial andtrade. From this time, as a result of conflicts and overlap ofcommercial benefits, the republic of Venice alternatived betweenfighting and cooperating with Ottoman Turks for next300years.The Republic of Venice has become a commercial empire withinthe Eastern Mediterranean after14Century, during this time theOttoman Turks was developing consistently according to acquireincreasing commercial and trade privileges within the EasternMediterranean. The focus within this essay on the commercialrelationship between Venice and Ottoman Empire helps make clearthe decline of Venice and the sharp rise of the Ottoman Empire andgives a framework to the interconnected development betweenthese two countries. In addition, it reflects the complexity of diplomatic relations in those years, which provides us with someexamples for understanding and dealing with modern internationalrelations.This essay analyses comprehensively the background, events,characteristics and influences of commercial and traderelationships between Venice and the Ottoman Empire. After brieflyintroducing the changes of commercial environment in Venice as aresult of expansion of the Ottoman Empire, this essay analyses thestrategies with respect to these changes of commercialatmosphere and discusses the alternations in ownership ofcommercial rights between Venice and Ottoman due to warsbetween these two empires. Especially deserving of mention is thebailo who was sent to the Ottoman Empire as chief diplomat fromVenice. The bailo had a significant impact on formation anddevelopment of the commercial relationship between Venice andthe Ottoman Empire. Moreover, this essay summarizes theinterconnections between these two countries and influences oninternational relationships within the Eastern Mediterranean andconcludes that the main features of the commercial relationshipbetween Venice and the Ottoman Empire are complexity, flexibilityand certainty.