Introduction; 1. The high politics of anarchy and competition; 2. Troubles in Anatolia: imperial insecurities and the transformation of borderland politics; 3. Visions of vulnerability: the politics of Muslims, revolutionaries, and defectors; 4. Out of the pan, into the fire: empires at war; 5. Remastering Anatolia: rending nations, rending empires; 6. Brest-Litovsk and the opening of the Caucasus; 7. Forced to be free: the geopolitics of independence in the Transcaucasus; 8. Racing against time; Epilogue.
A pioneering study of the causes and consequences of the rivalry and collapse of the great Ottoman and Russian empires.
Michael A. Reynolds is Assistant Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University.
"A first-class work of history ... an impressively clear and highly
original account of the complex events in the Russian and Ottoman
empires" - Financial Times Financial Times
'Shattering Empires is a pioneering study that brilliantly
illuminates the entangled crises of the Ottoman and Russian states.
In this timely and well-written book, Reynolds skilfully shows how
the confrontation between these two states contributed to the
collapse of both empires and to the birth of a new kind of politics
in the Middle East and the Caucasus.' Robert D. Crews, Stanford
University
'Michael Reynolds has written an important and original book. He
relates a complex story with remarkable clarity and admirable
rigor. His balanced and nuanced account is based on wide research
and is a major addition to the literature on Russian and Ottoman
history, and to the history of the First World War.' Peter
Holquist, University of Pennsylvania
'Michael Reynolds combines a deep understanding of Russia and
Turkey to produce an outstanding book that illuminates both
historical and contemporary questions.' Stephen Rosen, Harvard
University
'Shattering Empires is a fine book … it makes a valuable
contribution not only to the history of Russian-Ottoman relations
but also to our understanding of the intersection of nationalism
and geopolitics in the age of imperial downfall.' The Times
Literary Supplement
'This fine, provocative book asks important questions: about the
alleged anachronistic nature of empires; about nationalism as a
driving force to explain the modern historical narrative; about the
quest for security and its costs and consequences. It deserves a
wide and serious reading.' The Journal of Military History
'This very well-written study is an invaluable addition to
literature on WWI, borderland studies, and analyses of the Armenian
question. Highly recommended.' Choice
'… original, fresh, and insightful …' Paul W. Werth, The Journal of
Modern History
'Shattering Empires is the fruit of a rising scholar's scrupulous
archival labours … required reading for everyone who wishes to
become properly acquainted with Russia's Great War.' David
Schimmelpenninck van der Oye, The Russian Review
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