HIST Reading Notes Week 9

What ideologies and/or concepts can you see incorporated into the Young Turks Proclamation? ● Constitutionalism ○ Emphasises the importance of respecting national will and adoption of constitutional principles ○ "The basis for the Constitution will be respect for the predominance of the national will." ■ Reflecting a commitment to constitutional governance and rule of law ● Nationalism ○ Promotes Turkish nationalism by declaring Turkish as the official state language and insisting on official communications in Turkish ○ Aiming to strengthen Turkish identity within the Ottoman Empire ● Democracy and liberalism ○ The demand for where all Ottoman subjects should have the right to vote, reflects a democratic concept ○ "It will be demanded that all Ottoman subjects... shall have the right to vote." ■ Demonstrating desire for more political participation ● Equality, Non-Discrimination, and Religious Freedom ○ "Every citizen will enjoy complete liberty and equality, regardless of nationality or religion." ■ Reflects an inclusive and egalitarian ideology, challenging the Ottoman Empire's traditional hierarchies. ○ Commitment to preserving religious freedoms for various ethnicities ■ “free exercise of the religious privileges” ● Education and Modernization ○ Emphasis on free education, state supervision of schools, and the development of infrastructure reflects a commitment to modernizing ■ Desire to improve educational opportunities and infrastructure to encourage and fuel national development Which demands strike you as the most progressive? ● The right to vote and equality before the law ○ "It will be demanded that all Ottoman subjects having completed their twentieth year, regardless of whether they possess property or fortune, shall have the right to vote." ○ Demonstrates a commitment to inclusive democracy and political participation ○ Breaking away from traditional restrictions on voting rights based on property or class Which demands appear, to us in the 21st century, of a more limited nature? ● State Surveillance of Schools ○ Where "all schools will operate under the surveillance of the state" ○ This could be viewed sceptically in terms of academic freedom and liberty ○ Modern education systems usually function with more independence with interference from school boards to manage it instead of government directly

Explain the Ottoman Genocides. Which nationalities were involved? ● The Ottoman Genocides describes the persecution, forced labour, forced, displacement, violence, oppression, and killing of ethnic Greeks in the late Ottoman Empire during and after WW1 and the Greco-Turkish War ○ During this period and around this time the Armenian Genocide, Assyrian Genocide, and Greek Genocide occurred ● The nationalities involved primarily: ○ Ethnic Greeks ■ In regions like Asia Minor, Pontos, and Eastern Thrace ■ Communities faced forced migrations, massacres, and other forms of violence ○ Armenians ■ The Armenian Genocide targeted the Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire, leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands ○ Assyrians ■ The Assyrian Genocide affected the Assyrian Christian minority in the Ottoman Empire, leading to mass killings and forced migrations What theories are advanced as to why these nationalities were targeted for removal and extermination by the Ottoman authorities? ● Assess Wilson’s 14 Points as a basis for establishing international peace – do you consider them to be reasonable, sound terms? ● It depends on each of the 14 terms, as I believe that some were reasonably sound terms, however some were more mixed, as well as others complex and challenging ● Reasonable and sound terms ○ Open Diplomacy: as it opens ways for transparency and avoids secret treaties which caused WW1 ■ Promote honesty in international negotiations ○ Freedom of the Seas: Preventing economic blockades and conflicts at sea ■ Unhinder global trade ○ Free Trade: Removing economic barriers and promoting equal trade conditions aimed at economic interdependence and stability ■ Reduce economic motivations for war. ○ Disarmament: Proposal sought to address the militarization that had contributed to the war ■ Challenging to implement, but good for promoting peace ● Challenging ones ○ All borders of countries involved in evacuation, reallocation, and splitting of land