News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-02-24
Brief Review of Modern Euro
pean HistOry-Turkey

the era the Huns made such an invasion
and succeeded in entering France with
an army of more than half million men
They were defeated. Again, five centu-
ries later, came the Hungarians, and sue.
ceeded in entering France, and estab-
fishing themselves and founding an en-
during kingdom. Later came the Turks.
When the religion of Mahomet had
been spread by the Arab conquests of the
seventh century it had been early accept
ed by the Turks, who were a tribe of
Tartar warriors. Later they invaded
western Asia and gained possession of
Palestine The crusades broke their hold
in part, but it was regained and at the
date which we have previously men,
toned as that at which modern European
history begins tl452) they were not only
in control of Asia Minor, but had gained
possession of a large part of Turkey in
| Europe, which they had conquered as
early as 1889. They were thus great
menace to western Europe, but defeat
which they suffered in the year 1902
checked their advance and weakened
them so that they were unable to take
Constantinople. They made an unsuc-
cessful attack upon the city in 1921, and
at last captured it, as we have seen, in
1852. 1t was only the bravery of the
Hungarians on land and that of the
Knights of Malta in the Mediterranean
that prevented further extensive invas-
ions of Europe. Seventy-fve years after
the capture of Constantinople the Turks
had become strong enough for another
advance; they desolated Hungary; be-
sieged Vienna, and being turned back
from that city marched to invade Ger
many. They fell back, however, before
the great army that was led against them
by the Emperor Charles V (1532). AS an
instance of the interplay of events in hui
are remarkable. 1t probably saved the
Lutheran Reformation in Germany from
early extinction, as it took all the atten-
ton of the Emperor just at the time
w HCH NOulu nave dlIOClCu Ills CuCl
gies to the determination of the reform
ers. He was obliged, instead. to come to
some kind of truce with them. and
granted temporary freedom of worship.
In the next century the greatest hui
initiation of power by Turkey was the
siege of Vienna in 1888; they were driven
hoo -, hu Ioh, Gnh;acixS
King of Poland.
In the brief review of Russian history
we have seen somewhat of the wars that
have taken place between that country |
and Turkey in the two past centuries. |
They were the result of the necessity to |
Russia of communication with the sea to |
the southwark, and, in part also, resulted |
from the enmity and i'll feeling engen.
dered by the treatment shown by Turkey
to is provinces whose Inhabitants, like
the Serbians, were of kindred race with
The people of Russia, Turkey was in
7olved in war with Russia during the
'eigns of Peter the Great and Catherine
he Great, of that country; again in 1928
70; In 1896; when the Turks were
lilies of the French and England, and
gain in 1877, when only the Intervention
# the European powers prevented Rus
ia from taking Constantinople. This
asst named war resulted in a great loss
o Turkey in territory, a loss which may
re more properly described in treating
f the history of the Balkan States. This
imitation of Turkish territory was de-
reed by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878.
turkish power in Europe has been posi-
lie only because Russia and Austria were
ach unwilling to see the empire of the
Their made stronger; and because Eng
and was equally unwilling to see the
russian fleet have ready access to the
Mediterranean Sea, England's highway
0 her Indian Empire
The tyranny of Abdul Hamid as Sultan
f Turkey lasted from the seventies of
be last century until 1909. During his
eign there were two merciless massa-
res of his Armenien subjects and his
hole reign was one of ruthless despot-
I'M. Yet in his reign Germany, whose
biologists are Mortified at England's al
ance with Japan, courted the friendship
the Turkish government and estab
shed that hold which has enabled the
erman diplomats and army and navy
ffices to drag or push Turkey into the
resent war. Whichever side might win
lie present struggle it seems that the Of
IMAM Empire is finally doomed-either
} be ruled by Germany and Austria or :
be driven across the Bosphorous and :
give up Constantinople to Russia.
During the past four years Turkey has 4
zen engaged in two wars the first with
ally to retain possession of Tuis, which ;
e has nevertheless lost; the second, in
1918 with the Balkan States. Only the
ssensions of these states among them
Ives prevented the practical extermi
Ition of them.
Many Americans have reason for a
rong interest in the development of af.
irs in Turkey, as it is one of the fields
here American schools and colleges