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dpmcdermott's review
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The Ottoman Empire had been in decline for some time and a series of events starting with WWI led to the collapse of the empire and the birth of the Turkish Republic. The collapse was not inevitable but accelerated by geopolitical pressures, nationalist movements across the empire, and ethno-religious movements supported by nationalist causes. One of the strengths of the empire had been its citizens in non-Turkic territories felt Ottoman despite varied ethnic and religious background. Consolidating Turkish power, while excluding others in the empire, created the conditions that made collapse inevitable under internal and external pressures. Without a strong and focused central administration, the periphery eroded and fragmented. The Treaty of Sevres partitioned the empire into Allied controlled lands. Ceding land to victors became a permanent conclusion to war with the Ottomans, and a cause Nationalists used to raise issue with the Young Turks (CUP) administration during the war. During the war the Ottoman government (Committee of Union and Progress - CUP) initiated the Armenian Genocide as a means to consolidate Turkic power, ethnic, and religious homogeneity within the empire. This was fueled by a fear that the Armenians, who were largely Christian, would work against Ottoman interests during WWI. Equality was not exactly a hallmark of Ottoman rule, but there was certainly tolerance for other ethnicity's and religions. The Armenian genocide (to put it mildly) was a turn away from a tolerance that helped keep a diverse empire together.
As the metropole became more Turkish and lands were divided among victors, ethno-national groups determined to gain independence from the Empire initiated revolts (e.g. Arab revolt). The Turkish War of Independence in 1919 sought to resist the occupation of Turkish territories by foreign powers and establish the Turkish state independent of the Ottoman Empire. Interestingly, prior to this the Nationalist movement sought to preserve some elements of the Ottoman empire and viewed themselves as supporting the Sultan. The conclusion of the Turkish War of Independence in 1923 concluded with the defeat of occupying powers and the establishment of the Turkish Republic. Soon after, the Turkey implemented legal and educational reforms.
There's a lot of nuance and detail in the book that make this period of Turkish and Ottoman history very accessible and connect 1918-1923 to today.
The Ottoman Empire had been in decline for some time and a series of events starting with WWI led to the collapse of the empire and the birth of the Turkish Republic. The collapse was not inevitable but accelerated by geopolitical pressures, nationalist movements across the empire, and ethno-religious movements supported by nationalist causes. One of the strengths of the empire had been its citizens in non-Turkic territories felt Ottoman despite varied ethnic and religious background. Consolidating Turkish power, while excluding others in the empire, created the conditions that made collapse inevitable under internal and external pressures. Without a strong and focused central administration, the periphery eroded and fragmented. The Treaty of Sevres partitioned the empire into Allied controlled lands. Ceding land to victors became a permanent conclusion to war with the Ottomans, and a cause Nationalists used to raise issue with the Young Turks (CUP) administration during the war. During the war the Ottoman government (Committee of Union and Progress - CUP) initiated the Armenian Genocide as a means to consolidate Turkic power, ethnic, and religious homogeneity within the empire. This was fueled by a fear that the Armenians, who were largely Christian, would work against Ottoman interests during WWI. Equality was not exactly a hallmark of Ottoman rule, but there was certainly tolerance for other ethnicity's and religions. The Armenian genocide (to put it mildly) was a turn away from a tolerance that helped keep a diverse empire together.
As the metropole became more Turkish and lands were divided among victors, ethno-national groups determined to gain independence from the Empire initiated revolts (e.g. Arab revolt). The Turkish War of Independence in 1919 sought to resist the occupation of Turkish territories by foreign powers and establish the Turkish state independent of the Ottoman Empire. Interestingly, prior to this the Nationalist movement sought to preserve some elements of the Ottoman empire and viewed themselves as supporting the Sultan. The conclusion of the Turkish War of Independence in 1923 concluded with the defeat of occupying powers and the establishment of the Turkish Republic. Soon after, the Turkey implemented legal and educational reforms.
There's a lot of nuance and detail in the book that make this period of Turkish and Ottoman history very accessible and connect 1918-1923 to today.