This is the first volume in a series examining key moments and processes which are conventionally seen as "turning points" in the emergence of the modern world. The collapse of the Ottoman Empire is a key event in the shaping of modern times. From its ruin rose new countries including Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the perennially troubled area of Palestine as well as the Balkan lands - states which were to remain flashpoints of international tension. This volume considers the reasons for the end of the Ottoman Empire, explains the course of it, and examines the aftermath. The work: analyzes of the forces of revolution, reform and reaction in the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century; sets the empire in its international context, in particular assessing the very different attitudes of the European powers to the ailing ex-superpower; examines the impact of the Balkan states and World War I and explores in detail the impact of the post-World War I settlement; and considers the misfortunes of the minorities in these formative events.
