Young Turk Revolution

The Young Turk Revolution in July 1908 was an important event in the history of the Ottoman Empire. It was led by a group called the Internal Committee of Union and Progress, which was part of the Young Turks movement. They made Sultan Abdul Hamid II bring back the Constitution, call back the parliament, and plan an election. This started a time called the Second Constitutional Era, which lasted from 1908 to 1912.

The revolution happened in a place called Ottoman Rumeli, during a time of trouble known as the Macedonian Struggle. It began when a member named Ahmed Niyazi fled to the Albanian highlands. He was joined by others like İsmail Enver and Eyub Sabri. They worked with local people and used their ties to the Salonica based Third Army to start a big revolt.

After the revolution, Bulgaria declared independence from the Ottoman Empire, and Austria-Hungary took some land, leading to the Bosnian Crisis. The next year, after an attempt to bring back the old ruler, Sultan Abdul Hamid II was removed, and his half-brother Mehmed V became the new sultan.

Background

Main article: Decline and modernization of the Ottoman Empire

Sultan Abdul Hamid II became ruler in 1876 after some changes in the palace. At first, he agreed to a constitution and held elections for a parliament. But after a difficult war with Russia ended in 1878, he stopped using the constitution and closed the parliament. For the next 30 years, he ruled alone and made it hard for many people to take part in politics.

During this time, many new schools opened, which helped people think about changes in society. However, Abdul Hamid’s group of advisors kept changing, making it difficult for others to influence decisions.

Rise of the opposition

Main articles: Young Turks and Committee of Union and Progress

The Young Turk Revolution began with a group of people who wanted change in the Ottoman Empire. They did not like Sultan Abdul Hamid II's strict rule and thought the country needed better laws and a constitution. Many of these people were smart leaders who had been sent away from the empire, but some soldiers and government workers joined them too.

These Young Turks believed that making the empire stronger and fairer would help keep everyone together. They thought a constitution would stop other countries from getting involved in the empire’s affairs. Even though they agreed that changes were needed, they had different ideas about how much change was needed. Some wanted the empire to be a group of nations under one ruler, but not all of their plans worked out.

Causes

The Ottoman Empire faced many problems in the early 1900s. Bad harvests caused hunger and anger among the people, and prices kept rising while wages did not. Workers started to protest, and there were worries about the Sultan's health.

In a region called Macedonia, different groups often fought each other. This made life very unsafe, especially for Muslim people there. The Ottoman army felt very unhappy because they were not paid on time and were not allowed to practice with real weapons. Many army officers in Macedonia joined secret groups because they wanted to protect their land from being split up by other countries. They believed that only by taking action could they save the empire.

Preparation for the revolution

After a meeting in 1902, some leaders decided to work together to change the government. In 1907, a secret group called the Ottoman Freedom Committee was created in a city named Salonica. Important leaders like Mehmed Talaat, Bahaeddin Şakir, and Doctor Nazım were part of this group. Later, this group joined with another group, the CUP.

In December 1907, leaders met and agreed to work together to change the government. They tried to get support from different groups, including people from Macedonia, but not all groups agreed to help. They also tried to get support from Greek and Albanian groups, with mixed success. The leaders planned to start their change in August 1908, but events happened earlier than planned.

Revolution

In the summer of 1908, a group called the Committee of Union and Progress began a revolution to change the rules of the Ottoman Empire. They wanted the sultan, Abdul Hamid II, to bring back the constitution and open parliament again.

Major Ahmed Niyazi started the revolution by gathering volunteers and spreading the word that the government needed to change. Other leaders joined him, and soon many people supported their cause. The sultan, facing pressure from many sides, agreed to bring back the constitution and call an election. People celebrated together, showing hope for a new beginning with fairness and equality for all.

Aftermath

See also: Second Constitutional Era and 31 March Incident

Impact on the Second Constitutional Era

On July 24, 1908, the Ottoman Empire began what is called the Second Constitution Era. After the revolution, many new rules were made about freedom of speech, press, and organizations. Some secret groups became open, and many people who were in trouble for their political beliefs were freed. The group that led the revolution, called the CUP, did not take over completely but promised to follow democratic ideas and support the constitution. They won many seats in the parliament and helped shape the government.

After the revolution, many new political groups formed. Some of the bigger ones were the CUP, the Liberty Party, and later the Freedom and Accord Party. Smaller groups also appeared, including the Ottoman Socialist Party and others based on ethnic groups. The CUP won most seats in the parliament held in late 1908. At first, the new government was messy and not very organized, but it slowly began to take shape.

New elites

The changes after the revolution led to the rise of new leaders. Power was no longer just in the hands of a few people around the Sultan. Instead, younger leaders and officers began to take control. The CUP became very powerful and shaped the government for many years. This shift also affected other groups within the empire, as new leaders emerged in communities like the Armenians, Bulgarians, and others. Political parties and clubs became more important than old family leaders and religious groups.

Cultural and international impact

The revolution inspired many people in different countries. In Istanbul, Persian people created a group called the Iranian Union and Progress Committee. Leaders in Bukhara looked to this revolution as an example to follow. Indian Muslims also copied some of the promises made by the revolution's leaders. Even in the Greek military, a secret group modeled after the revolution's leaders took control, leading to a new government and bringing Eleftherios Venizelos to power.

After the revolution, people in many areas began to learn about political parties, elections, and rights for citizens. Violence in places like Macedonia stopped as rebels gave up their weapons and celebrated together with local people.

In popular culture

The Young Turks is a news commentary show that takes its name from this historical event. It has been live streamed since 2002 on platforms like YouTube and Twitch.

In the 2010 alternate history novel Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld, this revolution does not happen as expected, leading to different events at the start of World War I.

Historiography

Historian Ronald Grigor Suny suggests that this revolution did not have support from many people. Instead, it was led by a small group of military officers and activists in the Balkans. Another historian, Hanioğlu, sees the revolution as a very important moment for the late Ottoman Empire, but he also notes that it was not a movement that many ordinary people joined.