Wasti, S. T. "The 1912-13 Balkan Wars and the Siege of Edirne"

1912–13 BALKAN WARS 73written orders were to enable the defence of Edirne against Bulgarian and Serbian forces forup to 50 days, he held out in the face of dwindling rations against vastly superior forces for 5months and 5 days, surrendering only because he feared that further bombardment woulddestroy the historic structures such as the famous Selimiye mosque in the former Ottomancapital. However, such being the nature of war, the Pasha, on his return to Istanbul, wasconstrained to opt for retirement. Şükrü Pasha died in 1916, but the family adopted thesurname Edirne after the law related to surnames was passed in 1934. The name Şükrü mayoften be found transcribed as Shukri or even Choucri.23. This was the period envisaged in the mobilization plan for the fortress of Edirne as reportedby Yiğitgüden (note 40).24. In Turkish, the Enez-Midye hattı.25. Known in Turkish as İttihad ve Terakki Cemiyeti; later, the word Cemiyet [Association] wasreplaced by Fırka [Party]. Originally founded in 1889 as an anti-Hamidian organization by adisgruntled group of medical students in Istanbul, the Committee of Union and Progress(usually abbreviated as CUP) had a chequered career, with a chapter in Paris. The name wasappropriated by the Osmanlı Hürriyet Cemiyeti [Ottoman Freedom Society] in Salonica in1907 on the advice of Dr Nazım, an enterprising revolutionary who was one of the primemovers in both societies. The CUP acquired a political following in Istanbul and İzmir aswell as Salonica, and was in the forefront of Turkish politics for a decade between 1908 and1918. See E.E. Ramsaur, The Young Turks (Prelude to the Revolution of 1908) (Princeton:Princeton University Press, 1957).26. Known in Turkish history as the Bâb-ı Alî Baskını, or the Raid on the Sublime Porte.27. Kâmil Pasha (1833–1913), born in Cyprus, an astute civil servant and politician; four timesGrand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire who generally adopted a pro-British stance; lies buriedin the courtyard of the Arap Ahmet mosque in Lefkoşa [Nicosia].28. A story by Hector Hugh Munro (Saki) which, although first published in 1916 in a collectionentitled The Toys of Peace, very much transcends its time is The Cupboard of the Yesterdaysfrom which the following excerpt remains as relevant as ever:I remember a sunburnt, soldierly man putting little pin-flags in a war-map, red flags forthe Turkish forces and yellow flags for the Russians. It seemed a magical region, withits mountain passes and frozen rivers and grim battlefields, its drifting snows, andprowling wolves . . . And there was a battle called Plevna that went on and on withvarying fortunes for what seemed like a great part of a lifetime; I remember the day ofwrath and mourning when the little red flag had to be taken away from Plevna – likeother maturer judges, I was backing the wrong horse, at any rate the losing horse. Andnow to-day we are putting little pin-flags again into maps of the Balkan region, and thepassions are being turned loose once more in their playground.29. Rumeli [literally, the land of Roum; often Rumelia or Roumelia in English] is traditionallyused to denote the European dominions of the Ottoman empire.30. Feroz Ahmed, ‘The Late Ottoman Empire’, in Marian Kent (ed.), The Great Powers and theEnd of the Ottoman Empire (London: Frank Cass, 1996), wherein he states (p.15):It is not possible to understand Unionist policy and behaviour after 1913 withoutrealizing what a traumatic effect the disaster of the Balkan Wars had on the Turkishpsyche. The Turks had lost the very lands that had provided the life-blood of theEmpire for centuries. Moreover, the capital had come within an ace of falling to theenemy, spelling the end of their Empire. Throughout this entire catastrophe the GreatPowers had stood by, even though at the outbreak of hostilities they had declared thatthey would not permit a change in the status quo.31. Yahya Kemal Beyatlı (1884–1957), a celebrated writer who is often considered to be the lastgreat Ottoman poet writing in the classical style. He spent many years in the diplomaticservice, and was Turkey’s first Ambassador to Pakistan.