The Ottoman Empire Destroys Itself For Wine
The Ottoman Empire was thriving, until Sultan Selim II took the throne. Unlike his predecessors, Selim wasn’t all that interested in ruling. What he was interested in was wine, specifically, the wine from Cyprus.
In 1571, when his supply started running low, Selim didn’t negotiate or send traders. He invaded Cyprus.
At first, things went well. Ottoman forces took the island. But the backlash was swift and brutal. A coalition of European powers struck back at the Battle of Lepanto, where Selim lost nearly his entire navy.
The war for wine marked a turning point. Though the Ottomans remained a major power, they never fully recovered from the defeat, and Selim’s reckless thirst is often cited as the beginning of the empire’s long decline.
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