Османська імперія у рецепції Т. Ґ. Масарика у період Першої світової війни

Abstract

The article is devoted to the issue of Czech politician T. G. Masaryk’s perception of the Ottoman Empire during the World War I. It is noted that T. G. Masaryk perceived the World War I as a crisis of European civilization, the political content of which he considered the struggle of democratic countries (the Entente) and the theocratic ones (Germany and its allies). Being in exile since December 1914, T. G. Masaryk led the liberation movement of the Czechs and Slovaks. Seeking support for the independence of the stateless nations of Central and Eastern Europe, T. G. Masaryk in his memoranda to the politicians of the Entente countries, public speeches, and writings paid considerable attention to criticizing empires from the Central States and, in particular, the Ottoman Empire, which he considered remnants of the past, undemocratic and anti-national. T. G. Masaryk assessed the Ottoman Empire as a theocratic state in decline, and considered The Young Turk regime to be the new incarnation of the military essence of the Turkish state. He saw the basis of the union of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire in the internal similarity of their political regimes. The scholar assumed that the reason for Turkey’s entry into the World War I on the side of Germany and Austria-Hungary was the desire of the country’s leadership to keep Istanbul and the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, to revive the former imperial position in North Africa. In the context of the analysis of Berlin’s Pan-German foreign program, he pointed out that one of its goals was an alliance with the Ottoman Empire as a key means of penetrating the Middle East. T. G. Masaryk viewed Germany’s hegemony in Central Europe in connection with the strengthening of its position in the Middle East, which he considered part of the process of becoming the strongest colonial power. He believed that a Pan-German alternative to the Eastern question would lead to German world domination. Analyzing the strategy of German colonial policy and the place of the Ottoman Empire in it, T. G. Masaryk expressed his vision of the expedient plans of the Allies for the Ottoman state. He advocated the deprivation of Turkey of its European possessions. As for Istanbul and the Straits, Masaryk’s position changed. At first, he supported their transfer to Russia, and after its exit from the war – under the temporary international control of the Entente countries until the final resolution of the issue of their state affiliation.