Origins of the First World War -- pt. 1: The Ottoman Empire
For over a century, scholars, politicians, and pundits have debated the supposed causes of the First World War, from German naval provocations to the rising global tide of nationalism. All of these explanations tend to ignore the simple fact that the war began in eastern Europe, triggered by regional feuding and violence in what had previously been the Ottoman provinces.
We begin our exploration of the roots of World War I by following the struggles of the declining Ottoman Empire to hold its ground and contain ethnic and religious strife as Western powers circle like vultures around the so-called "sick man of Europe."
Image: 19th-century French postcard of the Sublime Porte.
Thumbnail: View over Topkapi Palace to the Bosporus, Istanbul
Suggested further reading: Alan Palmer, "Decline and Fall of the Ottoman Empire."
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thanks for putting these on youtube. i never knew the middle east and the ottoman empire were such an integral part of modern european history. btw i personally enjoy the more casual and informal approach you're aiming at. youve clearly done extensive research but it sounds so much more engaging than someone reading a script/paper verbatum
Absolutely extraordinary content. Please keep doing this work. Thank you deeply.
Very informative. This is uncharted territory for most of us.
Excellent voice ... great explanations ... really good splaining.
Yes, the Ottoman Empire is the starting point. So most would look at say Anglo-German naval rivalry, or Franco-German rivalry in North Africa. But that's a very Atlantacist perspective. Sam took a very different route which opens up a more holistic perspective based, at least initially, on the decolonization of Ottoman territories in the Balkans. So there is a discernible trend where decolonization leads to the creation of highly contested political spaces. And I think we see that prior to WW1, with Czechoslvakia and Poland in the late 1930s, and also in the post-Soviet space right up to today regarding Georgia, Moldova, and most disastrously of all - Ukraine. So there's a certain geopolitical configuration that seems to render post-imperial (Ottoman, Prussian, and Soviet) Eastern Europe a powder keg. If you follow all of these lectures through, it's astounding how even such an erudite scholar and broadcaster can condense a thousand years of Ottoman, Serbian, and Russian history so succinctly into these individual podcasts. Honestly, there's real methodology at work here and a deep, intuitive understanding of the primeval causes of WW1. These podcasts are far more than narratives; they include critical analysis and deep cultural knowledge all framed within a syncretic perspective that most don't have access to. He is a master storyteller and analyst. Anyone who is seriously interested in WW1 (and much else) should be here.
This is exactly what I need in my life! Fantastic work!
first comment; great video!
People are concerned about their traditional rights and customs preservation of what is right and good rather than nationalism. Power mad politicians act on behalf of cults and before that either good ie common good ir evil ie goid for some through treachery and deception.