Summary of Charles King's Midnight at the Pera Palace

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 The Ottoman Empire was in decline by the time the PERA Palace was founded. The Eastern Question, a conglomeration of territorial disputes, nationalist movements, and international standoffs, had roiled the empire for decades.#2 In 1908, the Ottoman Empire was forced to accept a constitutional monarchy and restore the imperial parliament. The Unionists were a new generation of Ottoman officers who were painfully aware of the gulf between their own empire and the great powers.#3 In 1909, a counter-coup attempted to undo the constitutional changes, but the Unionists struck back, sending military units marching on Istanbul to defend the reforms. In 1912 and 1913, two wars in the Balkans led to the independence of Albania, the loss of Macedonia and Crete, and the almost complete withdrawal of Ottoman power from continental Europe.#4 The Ottomans were quick to join the war, as they were promised territory and freedom from the sultan s control if they won. The war quickly became a struggle for survival for the Ottomans, as the potential costs were clear: the end of the Ottoman Empire, the dismemberment of the state, and perhaps even the loss of the imperial capital itself.