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# The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East

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The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East [Rogan, Eugene] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East

Review: A must read for those interested in the Great War, Ottoman History or the forming of the modern middle east - The fall of the Ottomans - The great war in the Middle East presents an engaging history of the final years of the Ottoman Empire which was dismantled at the end of the first world war. The book gives a comprehensive overview of the political environment both prior to and during the war. It provides details on the major battles fought as well as an overview on the tragedy of the Armenian genocide that occurred. It is highly readable and the author has the readers attention throughout the entire book. The dismantling of the Ottoman Empire and the forming of the modern Middle East is of fundamental historic importance and much of what decided that is contained in this book. The Fall of the Ottomans begins while the empire is in terminal decline The weak Ottoman state had been in decline for a long time but the author begins with the domestically politically challenging period of 1908-13 while the Sultan had reclaimed authority due to a weak parliamentary government. The author introduces the political movement of the Young Turks who were focused on bringing back the parliamentary process to Turkey and create a stronger national voice for the people. The author details how the weakness of the state and the hostile borders the Ottomans faced led to a Young Turk bargain with the Germans's after the start of the first world war to become allies. In particular Turkey felt threatened by Russia which had long outstanding border and citizen disputes due to orthodox and muslim rivalries near Serbia. The author gives the reader insight into the German's perspective on the value of the Ottomans and in particular how a jihad could help catalyze local rebellions throughout the colonial empires of France and in particular Great Britain. The author discusses how the Turkish helped disrupt the Italian conquest of Libya initially with the help of religious ties (though this ended badly) and how such a model was seen as a force that could help throughout the war. The author then starts giving the details of the major battles in the Near East between the Allies and the Turks. The Turks initially lost a sequence of battles and territory in Egypt and modern Iraq. The perspective that the Turks were a military liability for the Germans and an easy target for the Allies led to the move to take Istanbul via the Dardanelles. The strategy and history is given of Gallipoli is then given which marks the turning point for the Turks. The battles were horrific for both sides with mass loss of life on both sides but the retreat by the British at Gallipoli was a major setback. The author discusses how the fractured Ottoman empire was creating rifts in the local populations where people's allegiances were torn. In particular many Orthodox Armenians favored Allied victory as they felt repressed and underrepresented in the empire. The move to resettle orthodox christians took place in small communities near Greece but with the Armenians the policy took a most sinister turn and the Turks undertook the first modern genocide and through death marches and outright killing, decimated the Armenian population in the empire. The details are horrifying and the author spends time going through how the events unfolded as well as the nonetheless inexcusable outcome as well as the modern day issues that still surround the events. The author then moves back to the middle east where Turkey first lost major territory and gives a history of Kut, where the English took the city but then had to surrender due to exhaustion of resources. The horrors of the war and the starvation and conditions endured are given along with some photos. The author spends quite a bit of time as well on the Arab revolt and Lawrence of Arabia. The mixed allegiances of the Arab sub populations and the lack of affiliation with the Ottoman based Caliphate goes to show that the initial belief in the power of a call to jihad was misplaced. The author also spends time discussing the Sykes-Picot Agreement and in particular how the Arab revolt and alliance with the Allies was based of a subsequent territorial understanding of what the post war landscape would be, which was liberated and under the rule of Amir Faysal and his sons. The Ottomans of course lost the war and the author goes into how that took place. The ending was quick and the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire was entire. All of the Middle East was carved up and into what we see today. The author gives the reader the political reasons for the need to create a zionist Palestine and how it was and continues to be bitterly disputed. The Turks got a buffer between themselves and Russia with the creation of new nation states and kept Constantinople and Anatolia. The author is careful to discuss how the modern map of the region was effectively created in those weeks and their repercussions lie with us today. The Fall of the Ottomans was really enjoyable to read and it completely refreshed my understanding of the last days of the Ottoman Empire as well as the events in the first world war that led to its dissolution. For all interested in the forming of the modern middle east, the first world war or the Ottoman empire, this book is a must read. Even without those interests this book will hold your attention!
Review: Great on Politics, good on military - This is a very well written and good book on the topic. However, it is primarily a political study of the fall of the Ottoman Empire in World War I. It is not so much a military study. The author, who teaches at Oxford, has looked at the Ottoman Empire and how it handled World War One. He works in Turkish and Arabic. There are many individual vignettes from individuals at ALL levels of society, from political policy carried on at the highest levels, to the various campaigns and the fighting that resulted. It is well-illustrated volume but includes only a handful of strategic maps of the Empire’s battlefields. The political history is excellent. The author has a firm grasp of the Young Turk movement, the JIHAD aspect of the Turkish war effort and the impact of the Arab on the Turk (and vice-versa). His discussion of the Armenian genocide is balanced and accurate and unlike many studies, does NOT ignore the brutal killing of thousands of Assyrians. An entire chapter is devoted to this and will inhibit sales in Turkey! But it is not so much a military study. The German battlecruiser GOEBEN & British battlecruiser INFLEXIBLE become battleships. The small old French battleship REQUIN becomes a cruiser, HMS AMETHYST becomes French (p137) and Ottoman losses are often based on old Allied accounts. German Admiral Souchon is mentioned once in the book, ignoring his large impact in the Black Sea. Edward Erickson’s I ORDER YOU TO DIE is in the bibliography but seemingly not consulted in some of the areas covered in the book. The Turkish Official military studies appear to be completely missing as well. The author does NOT note that after the Allied naval assault at the Dardanelles, in which they suffered major losses, the Turks were virtually out of artillery ammunition. One of the major postwar hindsight laments was that a second naval assault was not quickly made. The Allied losses could easily be made up while the resupply of vital ammunition was difficult in the extreme. This is a very good book, worth the read, much from the Turkish and Arab point of view. Definitive – no. Would a definitive study be longer – yes (and hence probably not published . . . )

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #178,201 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #34 in Turkey History (Books) #66 in World War I History (Books) #191 in Israel & Palestine History (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,360 Reviews |

## Images

![The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91uk0s3RbNL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A must read for those interested in the Great War, Ottoman History or the forming of the modern middle east
*by A***N on December 26, 2015*

The fall of the Ottomans - The great war in the Middle East presents an engaging history of the final years of the Ottoman Empire which was dismantled at the end of the first world war. The book gives a comprehensive overview of the political environment both prior to and during the war. It provides details on the major battles fought as well as an overview on the tragedy of the Armenian genocide that occurred. It is highly readable and the author has the readers attention throughout the entire book. The dismantling of the Ottoman Empire and the forming of the modern Middle East is of fundamental historic importance and much of what decided that is contained in this book. The Fall of the Ottomans begins while the empire is in terminal decline The weak Ottoman state had been in decline for a long time but the author begins with the domestically politically challenging period of 1908-13 while the Sultan had reclaimed authority due to a weak parliamentary government. The author introduces the political movement of the Young Turks who were focused on bringing back the parliamentary process to Turkey and create a stronger national voice for the people. The author details how the weakness of the state and the hostile borders the Ottomans faced led to a Young Turk bargain with the Germans's after the start of the first world war to become allies. In particular Turkey felt threatened by Russia which had long outstanding border and citizen disputes due to orthodox and muslim rivalries near Serbia. The author gives the reader insight into the German's perspective on the value of the Ottomans and in particular how a jihad could help catalyze local rebellions throughout the colonial empires of France and in particular Great Britain. The author discusses how the Turkish helped disrupt the Italian conquest of Libya initially with the help of religious ties (though this ended badly) and how such a model was seen as a force that could help throughout the war. The author then starts giving the details of the major battles in the Near East between the Allies and the Turks. The Turks initially lost a sequence of battles and territory in Egypt and modern Iraq. The perspective that the Turks were a military liability for the Germans and an easy target for the Allies led to the move to take Istanbul via the Dardanelles. The strategy and history is given of Gallipoli is then given which marks the turning point for the Turks. The battles were horrific for both sides with mass loss of life on both sides but the retreat by the British at Gallipoli was a major setback. The author discusses how the fractured Ottoman empire was creating rifts in the local populations where people's allegiances were torn. In particular many Orthodox Armenians favored Allied victory as they felt repressed and underrepresented in the empire. The move to resettle orthodox christians took place in small communities near Greece but with the Armenians the policy took a most sinister turn and the Turks undertook the first modern genocide and through death marches and outright killing, decimated the Armenian population in the empire. The details are horrifying and the author spends time going through how the events unfolded as well as the nonetheless inexcusable outcome as well as the modern day issues that still surround the events. The author then moves back to the middle east where Turkey first lost major territory and gives a history of Kut, where the English took the city but then had to surrender due to exhaustion of resources. The horrors of the war and the starvation and conditions endured are given along with some photos. The author spends quite a bit of time as well on the Arab revolt and Lawrence of Arabia. The mixed allegiances of the Arab sub populations and the lack of affiliation with the Ottoman based Caliphate goes to show that the initial belief in the power of a call to jihad was misplaced. The author also spends time discussing the Sykes-Picot Agreement and in particular how the Arab revolt and alliance with the Allies was based of a subsequent territorial understanding of what the post war landscape would be, which was liberated and under the rule of Amir Faysal and his sons. The Ottomans of course lost the war and the author goes into how that took place. The ending was quick and the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire was entire. All of the Middle East was carved up and into what we see today. The author gives the reader the political reasons for the need to create a zionist Palestine and how it was and continues to be bitterly disputed. The Turks got a buffer between themselves and Russia with the creation of new nation states and kept Constantinople and Anatolia. The author is careful to discuss how the modern map of the region was effectively created in those weeks and their repercussions lie with us today. The Fall of the Ottomans was really enjoyable to read and it completely refreshed my understanding of the last days of the Ottoman Empire as well as the events in the first world war that led to its dissolution. For all interested in the forming of the modern middle east, the first world war or the Ottoman empire, this book is a must read. Even without those interests this book will hold your attention!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great on Politics, good on military
*by J***E on March 2, 2015*

This is a very well written and good book on the topic. However, it is primarily a political study of the fall of the Ottoman Empire in World War I. It is not so much a military study. The author, who teaches at Oxford, has looked at the Ottoman Empire and how it handled World War One. He works in Turkish and Arabic. There are many individual vignettes from individuals at ALL levels of society, from political policy carried on at the highest levels, to the various campaigns and the fighting that resulted. It is well-illustrated volume but includes only a handful of strategic maps of the Empire’s battlefields. The political history is excellent. The author has a firm grasp of the Young Turk movement, the JIHAD aspect of the Turkish war effort and the impact of the Arab on the Turk (and vice-versa). His discussion of the Armenian genocide is balanced and accurate and unlike many studies, does NOT ignore the brutal killing of thousands of Assyrians. An entire chapter is devoted to this and will inhibit sales in Turkey! But it is not so much a military study. The German battlecruiser GOEBEN & British battlecruiser INFLEXIBLE become battleships. The small old French battleship REQUIN becomes a cruiser, HMS AMETHYST becomes French (p137) and Ottoman losses are often based on old Allied accounts. German Admiral Souchon is mentioned once in the book, ignoring his large impact in the Black Sea. Edward Erickson’s I ORDER YOU TO DIE is in the bibliography but seemingly not consulted in some of the areas covered in the book. The Turkish Official military studies appear to be completely missing as well. The author does NOT note that after the Allied naval assault at the Dardanelles, in which they suffered major losses, the Turks were virtually out of artillery ammunition. One of the major postwar hindsight laments was that a second naval assault was not quickly made. The Allied losses could easily be made up while the resupply of vital ammunition was difficult in the extreme. This is a very good book, worth the read, much from the Turkish and Arab point of view. Definitive – no. Would a definitive study be longer – yes (and hence probably not published . . . )

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Magisterial History of a Neglected Theater of WW1 -- All Too Relevant to Today
*by A***S on June 13, 2015*

This compelling history of the Ottoman Empire's involvement in World War One -- and of the peace that led to the Empire's collapse -- is important not just as history, but as a backdrop to current events. As history, it is a major achievement, opening a perspective on the war with which I at least was almost totally unfamiliar (barring references to the Treaty of Sevres and to Lawrence of Arabia). Why has so little been written about the Ottoman involvement in World War One? Western European and American historians have focussed on the diplomatic lead-up to the war and on the war on the Western front, not surprisingly given the tendency to focus on one's own (or one's country's), point of view. Beyond that, there are vast troves of material on the War in English, French, and German, and a wide audience for World War One books in countries where those languages are spoken. Much less has been written from an Ottoman perspective. Much of the source material is in Turkish or Arabic, not part of most Western historians' toolkits. And from a current-day Turkish perspective, the First World War was a prologue to Turkey's definitive war -- the War of Independence from 1919 to 1923, when Turkish forces led by Ataturk defeated the Greek, French and other forces who had invaded. For many modern day Turks, Ottoman history is barely relevant to the new state founded by Ataturk. This lack of attention has left a significant empty space in popular writing on the First World War , a space which this book admirably fills. It is meticulously researched, relying extensively on Turkish and Arabic sources, and on a very wide range of other sources as well. It is admirably clear, with an organization that pulls one steadily forward, and a prose style that makes reading a pleasure. The author evokes characters and circumstances in a compelling way, particularly given that this is in part a military history. As to conclusions, the author argues that it wasn't the war that overthrew the Ottomans, it was the peace that followed. The Treaty of Sevres is best known as the treaty in which the British and French carved up the Middle East; what is less widely understood is that they carved up Turkey as well. This finished the Ottomans, and almost finished the Turkish state as well. It seems questionable that the the Empire could have survived even given a less draconian treaty -- the Ottoman Empire in Europe was crumbling before the War, and Arab rebellion became a key factor in Asia during the War -- but the author's case is well put. Another conclusion is that the Armenian genocide was almost certainly at least in part a deliberate policy of the "Young Turks" Ottoman government. The author's reliance on contemporary sources to demonstrate this is compelling. As to the relevance of this work to today's events, it is direct. In their post-war division of the Middle East, Britain and France created states that had no relation to ethnic and religious groupings, nor to historical patterns of trade and settlement. Instead, they suited the interests of the imperial powers. In the 1950's and 1960's, the colonial lid was replaced by the lid of dictatorial power. With that removed, religious and ethnic differences are boiling over, with "states" that do not have the power, or legitimacy, to impose order. The past doesn't tell us what to do in future, but it does give strong hints of what not to do. As we start to do it all over again -----

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East
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- The Arabs: A History

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