PLZ HELP! Story: “By the mid-sixteenth century Ottomans controlled the sea trade in the eastern Mediterranean, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and the rest of North Africa, and their power extended into Europe as far west as Vienna. Ottoman expansion frightened Europeans. The Ottoman armies seemed nearly invincible and the empire’s desire for expansion limitless. In France in the sixteenth century, twice as many books were printed about the Turkish threat as about the American discoveries. The strength of the Ottomans helps explain some of the missionary fervor Christians brought to new territories. It also raised economic concerns. With trade routes to the east in the hands of the Ottomans, Europeans needed to find new trade routes.”

Question: According to the excerpt, why were Europeans intimidated by the Ottoman Empire?