Summary of Charles King's Midnight at the Pera Palace

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 The Ottoman Empire was in decline by the time the PERA Palace was founded. The Eastern Question, a conglomeration of territorial disputes, nationalist movements, and international standoffs, had roiled the empire for decades.

#2 In 1908, the Ottoman Empire was forced to accept a constitutional monarchy and restore the imperial parliament. The Unionists were a new generation of Ottoman officers who were painfully aware of the gulf between their own empire and the great powers.

#3 In 1909, a counter-coup attempted to undo the constitutional changes, but the Unionists struck back, sending military units marching on Istanbul to defend the reforms. In 1912 and 1913, two wars in the Balkans led to the independence of Albania, the loss of Macedonia and Crete, and the almost complete withdrawal of Ottoman power from continental Europe.

#4 The Ottomans were quick to join the war, as they were promised territory and freedom from the sultan’s control if they won. The war quickly became a struggle for survival for the Ottomans, as the potential costs were clear: the end of the Ottoman Empire, the dismemberment of the state, and perhaps even the loss of the imperial capital itself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: May 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822517356

IRB Media

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Insights on Charles King's Midnight at the Pera Palace

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 11

Insights from Chapter 12

Insights from Chapter 13

Insights from Chapter 14

Insights from Chapter 15

Insights from Chapter 16

Insights from Chapter 17

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The Ottoman Empire was in decline by the time the PERA Palace was founded. The Eastern Question, a conglomeration of territorial disputes, nationalist movements, and international standoffs, had roiled the empire for decades.

#2

In 1908, the Ottoman Empire was forced to accept a constitutional monarchy and restore the imperial parliament. The Unionists were a new generation of Ottoman officers who were painfully aware of the gulf between their own empire and the great powers.

#3

In 1909, a counter-coup attempted to undo the constitutional changes, but the Unionists struck back, sending military units marching on Istanbul to defend the reforms. In 1912 and 1913, two wars in the Balkans led to the independence of Albania, the loss of Macedonia and Crete, and the almost complete withdrawal of Ottoman power from continental Europe.

#4

The Ottomans were quick to join the war, as they were promised territory and freedom from the sultan’s control if they won. The war quickly became a struggle for survival for the Ottomans, as the potential costs were clear: the end of the Ottoman Empire, the dismemberment of the state, and perhaps even the loss of the imperial capital itself.

#5

The Ottoman Empire experienced major defeats on the eastern front in 1915, and Unionist leaders began to eliminate Armenians who were thought to be responsible for undermining the war effort.

#6

The Ottoman Empire began to suffer military losses in 1918, and the city of Istanbul was blockaded by the Allies. The Ottoman government approached the British with a desire to negotiate an end to hostilities.

#7

On November 13, 1918, the Ottoman Empire signed an armistice with the Allies, marking the end of the First World War. The largest and deadliest contingent of armed foreign ships ever to reach Istanbul, the Allies were seen as liberators by the local Greek Orthodox population.

#8

The city was divided into zones of control by the Allied powers. The British were in