The revolt of the soldiers of the III Macedonian Army Corps sparked immense hope in Turkey at the beginning of the 20th century. What became known as the Young Turk Revolution allowed all parts of the Empire to hope for political freedom for a single summer. In a work that is both concise and original, François Georgeon places the Young Turk Revolution in its context and puts it into perspective to show how the seeds of counter-revolution were present in this ambiguous uprising. The 1908 Revolution indeed marked a turning point in the transition from the old Ottoman autocracy to the modern Turkish republic. Since 1876, the "Sublime Porte" had been an empire weakened by military defeats. Internal conflicts were rife between young nationalists who wanted to restore the Empire to its former glory and democratic forces who wanted to make Turkey a modern and multicultural society. From 190 onward, signs of revolt multiplied, but they were contradictory. A few young officers managed to shake the regime, which then proclaimed a constitution. This year ushered in a period of "the intoxication of freedom" throughout the Empire, as the population yearned for this newfound liberty. The various communities saw in it the hope of modernization, marked in particular by the end of censorship and the public expression of freedoms. But very quickly, these hopes were dashed. While the sovereign Abdülhamid II was deposed, his brother Mehmed V ascended the throne and ultimately relied on the military who had participated in the revolution to establish a new order in which freedoms were suspended and minorities were subjected to massacres. In fact, the Young Turks were only interested in modernizing the country for their own benefit. Those who hoped for a new society suffered the horrors of repression.
Through this book, the author reveals the full ambiguity of certain so-called revolutionary movements.
François Georgeon
An Ottoman Spring
The Young Turkish Revolution of 1908
Les Belles Lettres, 2026, 322 pp., EUR26.90
https://monde-libertaire.net/?articlen=8805
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Link: (en) France, Monde Libertaire - HISTORY PAGES No. 111: Revolution or Coup d'État? (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]
Source: A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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