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nationalism and the fragmentation of the
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the Ottoman Empire at its peak was an
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expansive realm comprising various
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ethnic religious and cultural groups it
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was a sprawling multinational state that
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stretched across three continents for
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much of its history it managed to
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maintain a semblance of Unity by
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adopting a flexible approach to
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governance allowing considerable
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autonomy to its diverse constituents
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however the rise of nationalism in the
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19th century significantly challenged
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this delicate balance leading to
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internal Discord and contributing to the
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Empire's decline 1. the Millet system
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attenuous Unity the Ottomans governed
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their multi-ethnic empire through a
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system known as the Millet which
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organized communities based on religious
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affiliations rather than ethnic
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the Millet system allowed non-muslim
0:59
communities considerable autonomy in
1:01
matters such as religious practice
1:02
education and legal disputes this
1:06
somewhat pluralistic approach was
1:07
initially effective in maintaining
1:09
internal stability but it also sowed the
1:11
seeds for future divisiveness by
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allowing distinct identities to remain
1:15
entrenched 2. the European export of
1:19
nationalism the spread of nationalist
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ideas often fueled by the intellectual
1:24
currents of the European Enlightenment
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and the impact of events like the French
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Revolution penetrated the Ottoman Empire
1:33
these ideas often found fertile ground
1:35
among the Empire's educated Elites and
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expatriate communities who were exposed
1:40
to European philosophies and political
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nationalism contradicted the very
1:46
foundations of Ottoman governance which
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prioritized religious identity over
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ethnic identity the concept of a
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nation-state based on a shared language
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culture and territory was antithetical
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to the Empire's multi-ethnic
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multi-religious composition 3. ethnic
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and religious groups from cohesion to
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separatism the Empire's diverse
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population included Turks Arabs Greeks
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Armenians Kurds and many others as the
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influence of nationalism grew these
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groups increasingly saw themselves as
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distinct Nations deserving of
2:20
self-determination this shift began to
2:23
manifest in various forms including
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cultural revivals literary movements and
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political activism aimed at greater
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autonomy or complete Independence
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4. the Greek war of independence one of
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the first and most prominent expressions
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of nationalism leading to direct
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conflict within the empire was the Greek
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war of independence in 1821
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energized by the ideas of Liberty and
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national identity the Greeks
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successfully revolted against ottoman
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rule culminating in the recognition of
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Greece as an independent state in 1830.
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this not only resulted in territorial
3:00
loss for the Empire but also inspired
3:02
other nationalist movements 4. the
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Balkans a hotbed of nationalism the
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Balkans were particularly volatile
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featuring a mix of ethnic groups
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including serbs bulgarians and albanians
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the 19th century saw a series of
3:20
uprisings and conflicts in the region
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driven by nationalist fervor the Treaty
3:25
of Berlin in 1878 was a significant
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setback for the Empire as it led to the
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independence or semi-independence of
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several Balkan territories
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5. Arab nationalism although it emerged
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somewhat later than in the Balkans or
3:40
among the Greeks Arab nationalism became
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another significant centrifugal force
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intellectual currents and
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dissatisfaction with ottoman rule led to
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the demand for greater Arab autonomy
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most notably during World War one with
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the Arab revolt 6. internal reforms and
3:57
their limitations the Empire attempted
3:59
to quell nationalist aspirations through
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various reforms such as the tanzimat and
4:04
later the Young Turk Revolution however
4:07
these often had the unintended
4:09
consequence of strengthening nationalist
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sentiment by creating more structured
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centralized and thus national
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Administrative entities moreover reforms
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like the imposition of the Turkish
4:20
language angered non-turkish communities
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exacerbating nationalist tendencies
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conclusion the rise of nationalism in
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the 19th century severely undermined the
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ottoman Empire's Unity
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as different ethnic and cultural groups
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sought to assert their independence or
4:38
autonomy the Empire found itself
4:40
increasingly embroiled in internal
4:42
conflicts and territorial losses
4:45
its attempts to suppress or co-opt
4:47
nationalist movements largely failed
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often backfiring and fueling further
4:52
discontent nationalism therefore served
4:55
as both a symptom and a catalyst of the
4:57
Empire's Decay weakening its internal
5:00
cohesion at a time when it was already
5:02
facing significant external threats the
5:05
consequence was a gradual erosion of the
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Empire's territorial integrity and a
5:10
significant undermining of its ability
5:12
to govern a diverse population
5:13
effectively eventually contributing to
