''CanIı TarihIer": a discourse analysis of the memoirs of Young Turks (1908-1923)

Abstract

This thesis is an attempt at understanding the frame of mind that the members of the Committee of Union and Progress carried with them throughout the Revolution of 1908 and the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire. It is largely based on their memoirs, although the memoirs of their contemporaries have also been used to arrive at a more comprehensive conclusion. The main argument of this thesis is that along with the rise of the "individual," and nationalism throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth century; various related concepts such as the place of women in society or the meaning of the word "homeland" were re-evaluated and re-defined. The thesis pays special attention to the ideas that were articulated vigorously in these memoirs, such as komitaczlzk (brigandage), hope or the place of individual in history along with others that were crucial in defining an individual, such as occupation, political involvement or local network. After dwelling on the place of women as perceived by the memoirists, the thesis establishes that among other roles, women were seen as stand-ins for the homeland. An inquiry about the boundaries of this homeland comes next, followed by the emotional investment it reportedly caused. The last point is regarding the communities of the Ottoman Empire and the new lens of nationalism that the memoirists employed in order to view them. By looking at two different groups within the Ottoman society, the Arabs and the Armenians, the conclusion reached is that nationalism then was not a fixed point of identity, but a variety of contextual roles that were performed day to day.