A note on the Ottoman socio‐economic structure and its response to the Balkan war of 1912

Abstract

In the autumn of 1912 the Ottoman empire staggered under a series of military defeats in the Balkans. A supposedly powerful and modernised Ottoman army collapsed before the determined attacks of Greek-BulgarianSerb-Montenegrin forces, abandoned lands that had been under Ottoman rule for centuries, and retreated to defensive positions at Catalca. Europe pondered what might develop from the Ottoman setback, for it signajled the beginning of the first major conffict of the twentieth century in Europe. The debacle also alerted the statesmen of the great powers to the disturbing fact that they had neither control over Balkan affairs nor adequate knowledge of what modern warfare involved. At least one country, Great Britain, took immediate steps to learn more about the effect of war on the 'sick man of Europe', and compiled an extraordinary collection of reports that graphically described the Ottoman economy and society under stress. The present purpose is to bring the substance of these reports before the reader. Through critical use of these sources, we may improve our understanding of the nature and strength of the Ottoman empire, just prior to the First World War, and more clearly comprehend the basic problems that a large state encounters when prosecuting a war that directly affects only one of its geographic sections. In addition, by focusing attention on the empire in its entirety, we may discover reasons and methods for correcting the traditional Istanbul-centered approach toward Ottoman history and revising our general views about Ottoman decline.