Editing Selim III (section)

=== Foreign relations ===
Selim III ascended the throne only to find that the Ottoman Empire of old had been considerably reduced due to conflicts outside the realm. In the north, Russia had taken the Black Sea through the [[Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca]] in 1774. Selim realized the importance of diplomatic relations with other nations and pushed for permanent embassies in the courts of all the great nations of Europe, a hard task because of religious prejudice towards Muslims. Even with the religious obstacles, resident embassies were established in [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Britain]], [[First French Republic|France]], [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]] and [[Habsburg monarchy|Austria]]. Selim, a cultured poet and musician, carried on an extended correspondence with [[Louis XVI]]. Although distressed by the establishment of the republic in France, the Ottoman government was soothed by French representatives in Constantinople who maintained the goodwill of various influential personages.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Stanford |first=Shaw |author-link=Stanford J. Shaw |year=1965 |title=The Origins of Ottoman Military Reform: The Nizam-I Cedid Army of Sultan Selim III |journal=The Journal of Modern History |volume=37 |issue=3 |pages=291–306 |doi=10.1086/600691 |jstor=1875404 |s2cid=145786017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Naff |first=Thomas |date=1963 |title=Reform and the Conduct of Ottoman Diplomacy in the Reign of Selim III, 1789-1807 |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=83 |issue=3 |pages=295-315 |doi=10.2307/598070 |jstor=598070}}</ref>

On 1 July 1798, however, French forces landed in [[Eyalet of Egypt|Egypt]], and Selim declared war on France. In alliance with [[Russian Empire|Russia]] and Britain, the Turks were in periodic conflict with the French on land and sea until March 1801. Peace came in June 1802, but the following year brought new trouble in the [[Balkan]]s. For decades, a sultan's word had had no power in outlying provinces, prompting Selim's reforms of the military to reimpose central control. This desire was not fulfilled. One rebellious leader was Austrian-backed [[Osman Pazvantoğlu]], whose invasion of [[Wallachia]] in 1801 inspired Russian intervention, resulting in greater autonomy for the Danubian provinces. Serbian conditions also deteriorated. They took a fateful turn with the return of the hated [[Janissary|Janissaries]], ousted eight years before. These forces murdered Selim's enlightened governor, ending this province's best rule in the last 100 years.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.bookrags.com/biography/selim-iii|title=Selim, III Biography|access-date=5 June 2017}}</ref>  Neither arms nor diplomacy could restore Ottoman authority.

French influence with the ''[[Sublime Porte]]'' (the European diplomatic designation of the Ottoman state) did not revive. Still, it led the Sultan to defy St. Petersburg and London, and Turkey joined [[Continental System|Napoleon's Continental System]]. War was declared on [[Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812)|Russia]] on 27 December and on [[Anglo-Turkish War (1807–1809)|Britain]] in March 1807.