Essays in Ottoman and Turkish History, 1774-1923: The Impact of the West

The effect of Western influence on the later Ottoman Empire and on the development of the modern Turkish nation-state links these 12 essays by this American scholar, Roderic Davison draws from his extensive knowledge of Western diplomatic history and Turkish history to describe a period in which the actions of the Great Powers, incipient and rising nationalisms, and Westernizing reforms shaped the destiny of the Ottoman Empire and the creation of the new Turkish Republic. The first of these essays provides a general survey of Turkish and Ottoman history, from early Turkish times to the end of the Empire. The following essays continue chronologically from 1774, detailing some of the changes in the 19th century Empire. In addition, Professor Davison includes a new and previously unpublished article on the advent of the electric telegraph in the Ottoman Empire to show how the adoption of a Western technological advance could affect many areas of life. Taken together, the essays portray a confluence of civilizations as well as a clash of cultures.