Sixteenth-century observers predicted Christian Europe’s defeat by the Ottomans
Evidence
In the sixteenth century Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, the imperial ambassador in Constantinople, had argued that this was the most likely outcome: ‘On [the Turks’ side] are the resources of a mighty empire, strength unimpaired, habituation to victory, endurance of toil, unity, discipline, frugality and watchfulness. On our side is public poverty, private luxury, impaired strength, broken spirit, lack of endurance and training; the soldiers are insubordinate, the officers are avaricious; there is contempt for discipline; license, recklessness, drunkenness and debauch are rife; and worst of all, the enemy is accustomed to victory, and we to defeat. Can we doubt what the result will be?’ — Robert Irwin, For Lust of Knowing, 191
Categorization
- XREF: Echoes the theme of doom-laden Western self-critique versus the Ottoman ‘Other’ — contrasts with later confident Orientalist postures.