The Young Turk Period, 1908-1918 - PSI424

296 The Rise of Modern Turkey, 1808-1975
retention of Edirne and eastern Thrace but to keep the London Conference going
at least long enough for him to restore the army and appease the public at home.
He proposed a compromise to the powers, agreeing to cede only the portions of
Edirne on the right bank of the Maritsa, retaining the main part of city on the left
bank, where most of the Muslim population as well as the ancient mosques and
tombs were located. The powers could decide the fate of the Aegean Islands, but
the Porte would have to retain some, since they were necessary for the defense
of Anatolia. Finally, he added something new-that in return the powers allow
the empire to set its own customs duties, apply the same taxes to foreigners in the
empire as to Ottomans, and, eventually, to abolish the rest of capitulatory provisions
(January 30, 1913). 90 But the Bulgarians refused the territorial proposals,
and the London Conference broke up.
The armistice ended on February 3, and the bombardment of Edirne resumed.
The Bulgars now began a campaign of slaughtering thousands of Turkish peasants
in Thrace, sending hundreds more toward the capital to disrupt further its ability
to support the war. The Bulgars also began a general assault at Catalca, but they
were beaten back again after two weeks of continuous fighting (March 18-30).
However, Mahmut §evket was unable to restore the army because of lack of
money. On March 28 Edirne was starved into submission, leading to a reign of
terror from which the city has never fully recovered. Already on March 6 Janina
had fallen to the Greeks. Isjcodra fell on April 22, thus finally ending Ottoman rule
in Europe with the exception of Istanbul. Kamil Pa§a tried to use the situation to
organize a countercoup that would totally eliminate the CUP and restore the
Liberal Union to power. Traveling to Cyprus and Egypt, he seems to have secured
British support in return for promises to surrender the key administrative and
financial positions in the government to foreign experts. 91 His plans were discovered
by the government, however, and on his return to Istanbul he was arrested
(May 28, 1913). In the meantime, in the face of all the disasters Mahmut §evket had
to offer a restoration of the truce and full acceptance of the powers' peace terms
(March 31, 1913). The armistice was restored on April 16, negotiations resumed
on May 30, and ten days later the Treaty of London was signed, with the Midye-
Enez line being established as the new Ottoman boundary and with Thrace and
Edirne in. enemy hands. The Porte surrendered all rights in Crete and left the
settlement of the Aegean Islands and the Albanian boundaries to the powers. 92
Kamil Pa§a remained under arrest, but the Liberal Union plans for a coup continued
and were actually intensified by the Treaty of London. Plans were made to
assassinate not only the grand vezir but also the major CUP men to gain revenge
for the attack on the Porte and removal of Kamil. In the end, however, only
Mahmut §evket was gunned down, at Bayezit Square while motoring from the
Ministry of War to the Porte. Cemal Pa§a immediately put the capital under martial
law. Several of the assassins were caught and the ringleaders put under arrest.
The CUP took full control after the assassination. Members of the Liberal Union
not implicated in the murder were arrested and sent into exile. A court martial
convicted and sentenced to death 16 Liberal Union leaders, including Prince Sabaheddin
(in absentia) and a number of soldiers involved in the assassination. 93
The CUP appointed one of its members, Mehmet Sait Halim Pa§a, an Egyptian
prince and a grandson of Muhammad Ali, as grand vezir, and four other committee
members were assigned key cabinet positions. Thus began the CUP dictatorship
that was to carry the empire to disaster in World War I (June 12, 1913). 94