George W. Gawrych Knihy

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was one of the most significant political leaders of the twentieth century. He rose from obscure origins to become the founder of the new Republic of Turkey out of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire and go on to radically transform Turkish society. How should one understand Atatürk and his legacy? In this book, George Gawrych studies Atatürk's career in detail, showing how Atatürk married the traits of the classic military man-of-action with those of the intellectual, theorist and pragmatist as a statesman. Gawrych places Atatürk in the context of his times to reveal how he harnessed wider forces to set Turkey on a path of secular nationalism and comprehensive modernization. His legacy can be seen everywhere in Turkey today, from the role and rights of women in society to the struggle for developing a democracy in the Republic. Gawrych addresses the costs of Atatürk's policies, including the suppression of minorities and the imposition of a cult of personality and authoritarian rule in the name of 'Turkification'. The book presents a nuanced analysis of a complex figure who consciously created a living legacy that still casts a shadow over Turkey's political and intellectual discourse.

A balanced and original picture of Ottoman rule and the Albanians during a critical period of Balkan and Middle East history. The Crescent and the Eagle examines the awakening of Albanian national identity from the end of the 19th century to the outbreak of the First World War - a period of intense nationalism in the Balkans - from an Ottoman perspective. Drawing on Ottoman and European archival and other primary source material, Gawrych contradicts and undermines the usual negative stereotypes of Ottoman rule. Instead he provides a critical but objective examination of the evolution of government policies toward Albanians, from attempts to mold them into an ""iron barrier"" to establishing a uniform system of administration. The author also analyzes the general problems of endemic violence and misadministration at the provincial level, and examines Albanian efforts to gain nationality rights and maintain local privileges and tribal autonomy. A stimulating study which offers many fresh insights into the dynamics of power within the Ottoman Empire.