The British and the Turks

Analyses British pressure to partition and ultimately destroy the Ottoman Empire

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The British described themselves as "the oldest friend" of the Ottomans - but this was never true. At times it was valuable to Britain to support the Ottoman Empire against Russian encroachment, however by the end of the 19th century successive British Governments had begun to sponsor the dismemberment of the Empire. British public opinion and political pressure groups portrayed the Ottomans in universally defamatory terms, affecting the diplomatic actions of politicians. Politicians themselves harbored deep prejudices against the Turks and Islam. The result, through numerous incidents, was British pressure to dismember the Ottoman Empire. Treaty provisions guaranteeing Ottoman territorial integrity were ignored. Christian countries and Christian minorities were supported, even when Muslims in those countries were being killed and forced from their lands. British leaders even refused to publish consular reports that described the oppression of Muslims which would have given the lie to press reports of evil Turks. Drawing upon decades of archival research, Justin McCarthy shows how the British were anything but friends to the Ottomans.