Evaluate the reasons for the rise of the Ottomans in Anatolia.

Candidates will make an appraisal of the reasons for the rise of the Ottomans in Anatolia, weighing up the importance or otherwise of these factors. Reasons may predate the timeframe but must be clearly linked to the issue raised in the question. Candidates may evaluate the significance of the power vacuum created by the collapse of the Seljuks, the economic strength of the Ottomans based on their fertile lands and control of trade routes, which allowed them to recruit larger armies and purchase the latest technology, and the expanded power resulting from their conquests in the Balkans. The strength of Ottoman leaders was an important factor, particularly their willingness to use new technology and tactics. External factors may be evaluated as the Ottomans received aid from the Genoese, who wished to trade. Tamerlane’s conquests failed to destroy them and created an opportunity for expansion when his empire collapsed and the Byzantine Empire was losing power in Anatolia. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.