Young Turks
Topic: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Young Turks were a movement of Ottoman army officers and educated reformers in the early 20th century. Their main group was the Committee of Union and Progress. They wanted to save the weak Ottoman Empire by modernising it and making it more Turkish in character. In 1908 they forced the Sultan to bring back the constitution of 1876. Later they took control of the government and brought the empire into the First World War on Germany's side.
Example
In the Young Turk Revolution of 1908, army units in Macedonia rebelled and forced Sultan Abdul Hamid II to restore the constitution and parliament. In 1914, the Young Turk leaders joined the war alongside Germany.
Don't confuse with
- Young Italy: this was Mazzini's secret society for a united Italian republic, founded in Marseilles. It had nothing to do with Turkey.
Related concepts
- Imperialism
- Balkan problem
- Ottoman Empire
- Sick man of Europe
- Eastern Question
- Crimean War
- Congress of Berlin 1878
- Pan-Slavism
- Austria-Hungary
- Balkan Wars 1912-1913