Ottoman Empire Chapter 1 Summary

As Davide Rodogno writes at the beginning of chapter one, the chapter's focus was on "international context of the Nineteenth-Century humanitarian interventions" (pg.18); specifically that which took place in the Ottoman Empire. As well as focusing on the Ottoman Christians, who were "victims of massacre, atrocities, and extermination" (pg.18). One part of Chapter one that interested me was the section dedicated to "Massacre, Atrocity, and Extermination"(pg.31); Rodogno briefly explains the differences between massacre, atrocity, and extermination: massacre is a "one sided affair involving the destruction of noncombatants" (31), atrocities were "deliberate acts of violence generally against the innocents (32), and extermination meant to "extirpate, …show more content…
For this reason, and many more, the Ottoman Empire is excluded from the Family of Nations; other reasons being despotism, Islam, polygamy, slavery, corruption, and an unsound social structure. The Ottoman Empire was weakening because of their refusal to advance themselves like the Great Powers. This empire could not be "cured" and so they were deemed unfit to become part of the European order. They were too inferior to be part of the Family of Nations, but this superiority over the other was based on European civilization and Christianity; the idea of being equal with one …show more content…
Elrod's article takes a look on the Concert of Europe through a fresh look at international system. However, to help me tie in all the readings, I will discuss a two parts of his writings. First, the Concert of Europe only consisted of the Great Powers and the only time lesser states could consult with the concert is if the Great power's interest were involved. This brings me back to the idea that conforming and "civilizing" from a barbaric state is the only way to be consulted is by being a topic of higher concern; but through the common values of the European powers. (The other part will refer to the last