THE SECOND CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY IN ITS 100TH YEAR

Democratization and National Unity The Second Constitutional Era, proclaimed in 1908, is one of the cornerstones of the empire's collapse, which lasted from the Kuleli Incident of 1859 to the proclamation of the Republic in 1923. The main problems inherent in this tragic, complex, and harsh history, which both attempted to prevent the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and accelerated it, still persist today. The Second Constitutional Era is the best lens through which to view the unresolved problems of our recent history. 9 episodes x 30 minutes CHAPTERS: CHAPTER 1 The Kuleli Incident I. THE PROCLAMATION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY The first coup attempt, organized by a group known as the “Muhafaza-i Şeriat Society” or “Fedailer Society” to overthrow Abdulmecid and establish constitutional rule, was the Kuleli Incident of 1859. The Kuleli Incident is also considered the first national reaction to the modernization process dependent on the West. More importantly, the Kuleli Incident was also a source of inspiration for the Young Ottomans. For this reason, this event, which is considered the beginning of the intellectual-political activism leading up to the Second Constitutional Era, is discussed along with its antecedents, and its effects on the subsequent period are examined. CHAPTER 2 The Young Turks REFUGEE OPPOSITION In June 1877, Abdulhamid II suspended the work of the Meclis-i Mebusan (Parliament). He exiled Mithat Pasha, the architect of the constitutional monarchy. The First Constitutional Era thus came to an end. In response to the crackdown, five students at the Military Medical School founded a secret organization called the Ottoman Union Society in 1889. Some members of the organization were arrested, while others joined other pro-constitutional Ottoman exiles in Paris. Opposition activities continued in Paris with the Ottoman Union and Progress Society, the Meşveret and Mizan newspapers, and the Union and Progress Society, which moved its headquarters to Geneva in early 1897. This section describes the second generation of Young Turks, who took on the character of refugee opposition and hardened their stance against the rule of Abdulhamid, and the founding of the Committee of Union and Progress. CHAPTER 3 Union and Progress FOUNDATION AND SPLITTING At the First Young Turk Congress in 1902, the Union and Progress Society split into two factions: liberals led by Prince Sabahaddin Bey and radical nationalists led by Ahmet Rıza. This process was indicative of the ideological split within the Young Turk movement, as well as the influence of Britain and France. Furthermore, the first examples of liberal and statist approaches would emerge with this split. This chapter discusses the split among the Unionists, as well as the transformation in the mindset of the Young Turks within the context of the world conditions of the time. CHAPTER 4 The Freedom Uprising MEN IN SEARCH OF WATER At the Second Young Turk Congress held in Paris in September 1907, the Young Turk Movement adopted the name Committee of Union and Progress. At this congress, a decision was made to organize a revolution against the rule of Abdulhamid II. Talat, Enver, Cemal, Cavit, Mustafa Kemal, Rahmi, and Şükrü Bey, who came to the fore in Ottoman politics, were names involved in the CUP organization before 1908. This section discusses the transformation of the Committee of Union and Progress into a powerful, semi-military organization aiming to seize power, and recounts the events leading up to the declaration of the constitutional monarchy, beginning with Enver Bey and Niyazi Bey's escape to the mountains. CHAPTER 5 2 Declaration of the Constitutional Monarchy FREEDOM DAY In 1908, some officers who supported the Committee of Union and Progress revolted in the cities of Manastır and Selanik. As a result, Abdulhamid was forced to reinstate the Constitution on July 24, 1908, and the Second Constitutional Monarchy was declared. In February 1909, for the first time in Ottoman history, a government was brought down by a vote of no confidence in parliament by the ITC group. This section covers the proclamation of the Constitutional Monarchy and subsequent developments, and describes the domestic and international repercussions of the Constitutional Monarchy. CHAPTER 6 The March 31 Incident THE MOVEMENT ARMY The first four congresses of the Society, held in 1908, 1909, 1910, and 1911, were held secretly in Thessaloniki, and the members of the Central Committee were not disclosed to the public. The power held by a secret society without political accountability faced harsh criticism from early 1909 onwards. The uprising known as the “31 March Incident” took place against the ITC government. When the uprising was suppressed, Sultan Abdulhamid II was deposed, and the Society came to power in an even stronger position than before. With the constitutional amendment made in August 1909, political power was monopolized by the parliament. This section examines the March 31 Incident from various angles and describes the critical developments that followed. CHAPTER 7 Political Crisis THE BABIALI RAID Following the assassination of Mahmut Şevket Pasha, an authoritarian government was established under Grand Vizier Sait Halim Pasha. Intense pressure was exerted on opposition political leaders and the press. On January 23, 1913, an armed group led by Enver Bey stormed the government meeting at Babıâli and seized power. This section examines the Babıâli raid, which went down in history as the first successful military coup and the first multi-party political experiment. CHAPTER 8 The End of Constitutionalism COLLAPSE As a result of the alliance agreement signed without the knowledge of the government and the sultan, Turkey entered World War I on the side of Germany. This chapter examines the war years of the Second Constitutional Era and the various policies pursued in this environment, and also narrates the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. CHAPTER 9 From Constitutionalism to the Republic THE FINAL RESISTANCE This chapter examines the final resistance efforts of the Committee of Union and Progress cadres, which turned into the National Struggle, and explains the foundations of the political revolution that led to the Republic in the Constitutional Era.