12291. COMPARISONS IN DECLINE: THE MANCHU EMPIRE AND THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE. This paper compares the internal and external factors in the decline of two great empires – the Manchu Empire of China and the Ottoman Empire of Anatolia. The paper argues that internal factors were the cause of the Manchu Empire’s decline (specifically, a revolt against an unpopular central government), while external factors were the cause of the Ottoman Empire’s decline (specifically, the unexpected collapse of the Bulgarian army on the Salonika front in the autumn of 1918. Keywords: Anatolia China comparative history. Written 1996. 11 pages; 16 footnotes; 6 bibliographic sources.