The Ottoman Endgame: War, Revolution and the Making of the Modern Middle East, 1908-1923

The book is a masterpiece from my point of view. In clearly marked chapters the reasons for the downfall of the old Turkish empire are given in easily understandable detail, although general knowledge of the history of the Turkish empire should be there before taking on this book. It was interesting to read, that the CUP or Young Turks were originally a rather radical renewal movement which originally intended to introduce radical reforms like equality before the law for all religions and women's rights unheard of in that part of the world. Only after a backlash by conservative groups via a coup d'etat against them (which was ultimately crushed) made them make some steps back again. The book also brings light into the connection with Germany which led to the fatal decision by the government to enter World War One on the side of the Central Powers. The undoing of the Turkish empire were catastrophic decisions by its leadership, especially the winter-battle in the Caucasus against the Russian forces 1914/15. Concerning the Armenian genocide the author only slightly touches the issue without minimizing its impact. But he shows both sides of the story with atrocities also committed by Armenian rebels against Turkish civilians. Although they are dwarfed by what the Turkish government did to the Armenian civilians afterwards. Studying the book it seems logical that Turkey would have collapsed much earlier than it actually did but for the Russian revolution. Without it the Russian armies, totally beaten on the Eastern front, but in good order on the Caucasus front, would have rather likely reached Istanbul from the east sometime in 1917. No country stayed longer in World War One than Turkey and what it meant is shown by the author when he notices that the country lost approx. 20 % of its population between 1914 and 1923 (only those counted inside today's borders). The conclusion that Turkey's economic problems for the next at least 60 years after that were a direct result of the Peace of Lausanne in 1923, when mainly Greeks, but also other ethnic minorities were forcibly relocated outside the country, will be interesting for people interested in economic development. This because most "professionals" came from the minorities. In short: Highly recommended for all who wonder about Turkish nationalism of today and the attempts of the Turkish government to play a role in the Middle East conflicts and newerday's in the civil war in Libya, a former Turkish colony (until 1911).

i thought this book was fascinating. the places, characters, events, on such a huge canvas - much was new to me. in school & on tv we are told of gallipolli, but what about manzikert, sarikamish, the balkan wars of 1912&13, the battleships chasing each other across the mediterranean, the black sea blockades, baghdad, mosul, gaza, damascus, kars, erzurum, italy’s annexation of Libya in 1911, the forced population exchanges. and the fact that had it not been for the Russian Revolution, Istanbul may well have become Russian.sometimes the author’s sentence structure can be a bit confusing with parenthetical statements and asides. i am not a strong reader and am quick to abandon books. but the material is so interesting i couldn’t abandon this one. and there is so much material and there are so many anecdotes to tell that you realise the parenthetical statements and footnotes are totally necessary. I started this book in the course of a trip to Turkey, a country I have visited many times, and in conversation with older more educated Turks the fact that I was aware of some of the events of the early 20th century through reading it made for some very memorable discussions and some lasting friendships. The book also helps to understand some of the issues facing modern Turkey. I note some of the criticisms by other reviewers but if there is a better book encompassing this very important period and covering this part of the world please tell me about it . I suspect part of the reason for the scarcity of books on this subject in the English language is the strange self-hating and self-important obsession the brits have for their erstwhile empire, the ottoman version was no ‘better’ and no ‘worse’ but was every bit as complicated, lasting more than half a millennium and setting the scene for the complications of the eastern mediterranean and middle east that continue to have a profound effect on current world affairs.

sean mcmeekinの作品は、これまでロシアやスターリン関連のものはいくつか読んできたが、彼のもう一つの専門分野である第一次大戦絡みのものは未読だった。この作品はタイトルが示す通り、第一次大戦の当事者でもあるオスマン帝国を中心として、第一次大戦期の歴史を描いたものだ。さてトルコという存在はなかなか厄介。日本の高校の世界史では、オスマン帝国が第一次大戦がらみで扱われることはあまりない。第一次大戦前史ともいうべき第一次、第二次バルカン戦争やボスニア・ヘルッエゴビナの併合などは扱われていた記憶はあるが、第一次大戦はもっぱら西部戦線の塹壕戦が中心となり、ぶつ切りでバルフォア宣言やロシア革命が挿入される程度で、とてもじゃないがこの戦争の全体像を得ることは無理。大国によるオスマン帝国の領土分割であるピコ・サイクス協定という観点からこの時期はよく語られるのだが、本書は、この大戦を、「オスマン帝国継承戦争」という観点から、描いたものだ。縮小しながらも依然として広大な領土を保持していたこの他民族の帝国がどのようにして,　英仏露という大国並びにブルガリアやギリシアという小国による領土の侵食に対応したか。その戦いの舞台は、コンスタンチノープルの近くのダーダネルス海峡だけでなく北アフリカ、メソポタミア、シナイ、コーカサスまで広がり、扱われる時代も、いわゆる第一次大戦の終了で途切れることなく、ローザンヌ条約が締結される1923年まで延ばされている。オスマントルコの分割という最悪のシナリオは、ロシア革命の勃発により実現しなかったが、結局はドイツの敗北とブルガリアの参戦により、トルコは戦敗国となり、平和条約の下で英仏伊やギリシャなどの占領下に置かれることとなる。が、イギリスの使嗾の下で悪乗りしたギリシアの侵攻を退けることにより、解体されたオスマントルコは、アラブ、北アフリカ、シリアさらには現在のイラクという統治不能な領域をきり離し、トルコという世俗国家としての民族国家へと変貌をとげるのだ。結局のところ、軍事力による勝利こそが政治的な意思の貫徹には不可欠なのだ。帝国の解体という作業はいつも大変な作業だ。本書でも、民族浄化や民族の強制的な移住の話が何度も出てくる。この地域では、命の重さは軽い。そしていつも歴史の古層には、憎悪が埋め込まれている。どうやってmixされている人口という現状をunmixしていくのか。それへのある現実的な答えを出したのが、トルコというのが著者の結論だ。それ以外の地域では、いまだにオスマントルコの継承戦争の残りが続いている。そこでは、トルコが切りはなした宗教というモチーフが重要な要因なのだ。いや今ではトルコ自体が世俗化という理念を問い直しているのかもしれない。

INTERESTING HISTORICAL COVERAGE OF A CRITICAL PERIOD OF HISTORY BUT NEEDS A MORE DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TURKISH PSYCHE

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