William Tyler
The Decline of the Ottoman Empire to 1914
Summary
The decline of the Ottoman Empire began with the defeat of the Ottoman armies at the gates of Vienna in 1683. Following this defeat, the West assumed their empire would not last throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Yet it did, but not without losing much of its European territory. By the start of the 20th century, it seemed as though the slightest wind would blow it all away. That wind came in 1914 in the form of WWI.
William Tyler
William Tyler has spent his entire professional life in adult education, beginning at Kingsgate College in 1969. He has lectured widely for many public bodies, including the University of Cambridge and the WEA, in addition to speaking to many clubs and societies. In 2009, William was awarded the MBE for services to adult education, and he has previously been a scholar in residence at the London Jewish Cultural Centre.
No, most of the Ottoman senior command would have spoken French or English. The French commanders would’ve spoken English. The English commanders unlikely to have spoken French or in any sense, an Eastern language. So there wasn’t, there wasn’t too much of a problem. The problem was the French and British never got on, and there’s the story of the British General asking, true story on his horse, asking his aide-de-camp “And where are the bloody French?” He says, with his telescope to his eye, and the aide-de-camp says, “They’re our allies, sir, the French General is just a couple of yards to your right.” Because they were so cons, they were so trained that the enemy was always the French. I mean, it’s the whole story of the Crimean War is disastrous.
Yes, the Germans would have found a reason. It was too, the Germans didn’t want to go in 1914, but they would’ve gone by 1916. Oh, yes. We seem to have got a blackbird in our big hedge at the back, you’re right, Miriam.