The Collapse of the Sick Man: The First Balkan War and the End of Ottoman Europe

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick delves into the cataclysmic events of 1912-1913 that shattered the Ottoman Empire and set the stage for the First World War.

Following the humiliating loss of Libya to Italy, the Balkan states—Serbia, Greece, Montenegro, and Bulgaria—sensed weakness and struck. We explore how this coalition of former subjects mobilized a massive army of over 700,000 men to drive the Ottomans out of Europe.

Drawing on Eugene Rogan's The Fall of the Ottomans, Nick examines the internal chaos of the empire, from the violent coup led by Enver Pasha at the Sublime Porte to the desperate siege of Edirne. Why did the "Sick Man of Europe" fight so poorly in the Balkans but so fiercely later at Gallipoli? And how did the loss of its European heartland radicalize the Young Turk regime?

Plus: Important announcements about our upcoming live masterclasses for history students in February, March, and April!

Key Topics:

• The First Balkan War: How a coalition of small states defeated an empire.
• The Raid on the Sublime Porte: Enver Pasha’s violent seizure of power.
• The Loss of Europe: The economic and psychological blow of losing Macedonia, Albania, and Thrace.
• Schrödinger's Empire: The paradox of Ottoman weakness in 1912 vs. resilience in 1915.

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