An Analysis of William E. Gladstone’s Ottoman Policies through the “Bulgarian Horrors and the Question of the East” Pamphlet

Abstract

Throughout his long life William Ewart Gladstone who served as prime minister four times, is a statesman left his mark on British history as well as world politics. His involvement in the events taking place within the Ottoman Empire with his famous pamphlet “Bulgarian Horrors and the Question of the East” published on 5 September 1876 was decisive in the formation of both the Near East Crisis of 1876-1878 and the British policy towards the Ottoman Empire. Gladstone always had doubts about the Turkish administration of Christian subjects. These thoughts constitute the basic axis of the pamphlet. The cutting edge of the history of Anglo-Ottoman relations lies in examining British Parliamentary debates and the policies of the Liberal statesman Gladstone. Nonetheless, it was Gladstone’s novel departure in the Bulgarian Agitation in the formation of British diplomacy towards the Ottoman Empire, which led to a transition from Disraeli’s pro-Turkish neutrality in the Russo-Ottoman of War of 1877-1878, and ended up with the British occupation of Egypt in 1882 during the leadership of Gladstone. The question as to whether Gladstone’s rhetorical indignation in his “Bulgarian Horrors and the Question of the East” pamphlet – “clearing the Turks out of Europe as the anti-specimen of humanity with bag and baggage”– or his religious fervour primarily determined his policies is open to debate. Thus, this research will analyse how important Gladstone’s involvement and pamphlet for the formation of British policy towards the Ottoman Empire. © 2023, Sabit Dokuyan. All rights reserved.