Positioning in Turbulent Times: Ottoman Intellectuals and the South African War (1899–1902)

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Karadağ E.

SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORICAL JOURNAL, cilt.75, sa.4, ss.561-581, 2023 (SSCI, Scopus)

Özet

The South African War of 1899−1902, between Great Britain
and the Boer states, marked by British victory, garnered
extensive international attention, thus offering a compelling
case study on the influence of modern propaganda globally.
European and American audiences closely monitored the
conflict between the ‘mighty’ British Empire and the ‘little
white Christians’. Employing critical analysis, this article
scrutinises Ottoman intellectuals’ pro-British propaganda and
their stance on the war. Utilising sources like Young Turk
publications and memoirs, particularly focusing on Ismail
Kemal Vlora’s work ‘The Question of Transvaal’ (1900), it
sheds light on their efforts to legitimise British imperialism in
South Africa and beyond. Vlora played a pivotal role in
leading the Anglophile faction amongst Ottoman statesmen
and intelligentsia and his writings offer crucial insights into
their perspectives. This study aims to comprehend the views
of Anglophile Ottoman intellectuals on colonialism,
imperialism, and civilisation, alongside their advocacy for
Britain. Centred on Ottoman perspectives of the war, with
supplementary attention to colonial South African history,
this research unveils how and why the southern African
conflict impacted Ottoman intelligentsia. This study is
embedded within the broader context of the South African
War’s substantial international ramifications, emphasising its
relevance to global historical discourse.
KEYWORDS
South African War; war
propaganda; late Ottoman
intellectuals; Young Turks;
Ismail Kemal Vlora
Introduction
The South African War, spanning from 11 October 1899 to 31 May 1902, left an
indelible mark on the international stage, boasting an unprecedented level of
global attention. In the midst of a burgeoning era of globalisation, the
conflict garnered unparalleled interest, surpassing any prior event in the
CONTACT Esma Karadağ e.karadag@asc.leidenuniv.nl
This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the
article.
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by
the author(s) or with their consent.
SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORICAL JOURNAL
2023, VOL. 75, NO. 4, 561–581
https://doi.org/10.1080/02582473.2024.2380279
The South African War of 1899−1902, between Great Britain
and the Boer states, marked by British victory, garnered
extensive international attention, thus offering a compelling
case study on the influence of modern propaganda globally.
European and American audiences closely monitored the
conflict between the ‘mighty’ British Empire and the ‘little
white Christians’. Employing critical analysis, this article
scrutinises Ottoman intellectuals’ pro-British propaganda and
their stance on the war. Utilising sources like Young Turk
publications and memoirs, particularly focusing on Ismail
Kemal Vlora’s work ‘The Question of Transvaal’ (1900), it
sheds light on their efforts to legitimise British imperialism in
South Africa and beyond. Vlora played a pivotal role in
leading the Anglophile faction amongst Ottoman statesmen
and intelligentsia and his writings offer crucial insights into
their perspectives. This study aims to comprehend the views
of Anglophile Ottoman intellectuals on colonialism,
imperialism, and civilisation, alongside their advocacy for
Britain. Centred on Ottoman perspectives of the war, with
supplementary attention to colonial South African history,
this research unveils how and why the southern African
conflict impacted Ottoman intelligentsia. This study is
embedded within the broader context of the South African
War’s substantial international ramifications, emphasising its
relevance to global historical discourse.
KEYWORDS
South African War; war
propaganda; late Ottoman
intellectuals; Young Turks;
Ismail Kemal Vlora
Introduction
The South African War, spanning from 11 October 1899 to 31 May 1902, left an
indelible mark on the international stage, boasting an unprecedented level of
global attention. In the midst of a burgeoning era of globalisation, the
conflict garnered unparalleled interest, surpassing any prior event in the
CONTACT Esma Karadağ e.karadag@asc.leidenuniv.nl
This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the
article.
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by
the author(s) or with their consent.
SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORICAL JOURNAL
2023, VOL. 75, NO. 4, 561–581
https://doi.org/10.1080/02582473.2024.2380279
The South African War of 1899−1902, between Great Britain
and the Boer states, marked by British victory, garnered
extensive international attention, thus offering a compelling
case study on the influence of modern propaganda globally.
European and American audiences closely monitored the
conflict between the ‘mighty’ British Empire and the ‘little
white Christians’. Employing critical analysis, this article
scrutinises Ottoman intellectuals’ pro-British propaganda and
their stance on the war. Utilising sources like Young Turk
publications and memoirs, particularly focusing on Ismail
Kemal Vlora’s work ‘The Question of Transvaal’ (1900), it
sheds light on their efforts to legitimise British imperialism in
South Africa and beyond. Vlora played a pivotal role in
leading the Anglophile faction amongst Ottoman statesmen
and intelligentsia and his writings offer crucial insights into
their perspectives. This study aims to comprehend the views
of Anglophile Ottoman intellectuals on colonialism,
imperialism, and civilisation, alongside their advocacy for
Britain. Centred on Ottoman perspectives of the war, with
supplementary attention to colonial South African history,
this research unveils how and why the southern African
conflict impacted Ottoman intelligentsia. This study is
embedded within the broader context of the South African
War’s substantial international ramifications, emphasising its
relevance to global historical discourse.
KEYWORDS
South African War; war
propaganda; late Ottoman
intellectuals; Young Turks;
Ismail Kemal Vlora
Introduction
The South African War, spanning from 11 October 1899 to 31 May 1902, left an
indelible mark on the international stage, boasting an unprecedented level of
global attention. In the midst of a burgeoning era of globalisation, the
conflict garnered unparalleled interest, surpassing any prior event in the
CONTACT Esma Karadağ e.karadag@asc.leidenuniv.nl
This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the
article.
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by
the author(s) or with their consent.
SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORICAL JOURNAL
2023, VOL. 75, NO. 4, 561–581
https://doi.org/10.1080/02582473.2024.2380279

The South African War of 1899−1902, between Great Britain and the Boer states, marked by British victory, garnered extensive international attention, thus offering a compelling case study on the influence of modern propaganda globally. European and American audiences closely monitored the conflict between the ‘mighty’ British Empire and the ‘little white Christians’. Employing critical analysis, this article scrutinises Ottoman intellectuals’ pro-British propaganda and their stance on the war. Utilising sources like Young Turk publications and memoirs, particularly focusing on Ismail Kemal Vlora’s work ‘The Question of Transvaal’ (1900), it sheds light on their efforts to legitimise British imperialism in South Africa and beyond. Vlora played a pivotal role in leading the Anglophile faction amongst Ottoman statesmen and intelligentsia and his writings offer crucial insights into their perspectives. This study aims to comprehend the views of Anglophile Ottoman intellectuals on colonialism, imperialism, and civilisation, alongside their advocacy for Britain. Centred on Ottoman perspectives of the war, with supplementary attention to colonial South African history, this research unveils how and why the southern African conflict impacted Ottoman intelligentsia. This study is embedded within the broader context of the South African War’s substantial international ramifications, emphasising its relevance to global historical discourse.