It can be readily argued that the most important event of the
20th century was the First World War. This massive conflagration saw the demise
of a number of great world powers and dynasties (Romanovs, Hohenzollerns,
Habsburgs and the Ottomans) and a redrawing of the global maps especially in
the Middle East. World War I was also the spark for the Russian Revolution, the
immiseration of Germany and the rise of Hitler, thus begetting World War II.
Eugene Rogan has written a fascinating book about that part of
World War I that receives much less coverage than others; namely, the fall of
the Ottomans. The book reads well and is crammed with detail but is designed
for the general reader of history.
Rogan begins the book with his own personal connection to the
Ottomans concerning the death of his great uncle at Gallipoli. This serves to
begin the book with a wonderful poignant touch.
Essentially, the book covers the first two decades of the 20th
century. This is when the Ottoman decline, which had been going on for
centuries, really picked up speed. Of course, it culminated in the defeat of
the Central Powers in 1918 and the formal removal of much of Ottoman territory
from its previous colonial masters. As part of the process, the modern Republic
of Turkey was also founded.
Yet, the Ottoman collapse also spawned other regional side
effects. The Balfour Declaration arguably laid the groundwork for so much of
the present tension in the Middle East with the ultimate creation of Israel.
Further, the secret Sykes-Picot Agreement served to create boundaries and
entitlements that had little bearing to realities on the ground. The Kurds, for
one, were left blowing in the breeze.
“The Fall of the Ottomans” is a book that I can recommend
to anyone interested in this somewhat neglected piece of modern history. The
book is truly insightful.
Reprinted from Amazon.com.
