The Ottoman Peoples and the End of Empire

First, broadly based account of Ottoman collapse and its effects on Slavs, Turks, Greeks, Arabs and Armenians Written by a scholar at the forefront of debate in the field Stresses interconnectivity of events in all the Middle East and Balkans Establishes central place of dissolution of Ottoman Empire on future events

For six centuries the Ottoman Empire united a diverse array of religious and ethnic groups, but its dissolution into distinct states left a tradition of nationalism and ethnic enmity in much of the Balkans and Middle East. Justin McCarthy tells the story of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and its effects in the Balkans and Middle East.Here, historian Justin McCarthy tells the story of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and how this changed the lives of Slavs, Turks, Greeks, Arabs, and Armenians. The history has striking parallels, as well as direct links, to the crises in the Balkans today. For six centuries the Ottoman Empire united a diverse array of religious and ethnic groups, but its dissolution into distinct states left a tradition of nationalism and ethnic enmity in much of the Balkans and Middle East. In particular, the majority of the Muslim population of the Ottoman Balkans would never be integrated into the new states, as the 'national' characters of these states depended in part on the elimination of 'outsiders'. The new map of the Balkans and Middle East, which was largely the product of the victorious Allies after World War I, made little concession to practical concerns, such as access to seaports, or the rights of minorities. Only the Turkish Republic was able to thwart the plans of the conquerors by defeating military incursion. Ideal for undergraduates in history and political science, "The Ottoman Peoples and the End of Empire" provides the historical background to one of the central conflicts of our time.