The origins of the 1897 Ottoman-Greek War: A diplomatic history

Abstract

This thesis, pertaining to the underlying factors and developments of the Ottoman-Greek War of 1897, focuses primarily on the political and diplomatic proceedings that took place between the Greek occupation of Crete on 13 February and the declaration of war by the Ottoman Empire on 17 April. This war broke out, against the will of the Ottoman Empire and the Great Powers, as an outgrowth of the irredentist policies of Greece. The Ottoman Empire expected that the Great Powers would prevent war, but since the Powers could not take a unanimous decision for undertaking coercive measures on Greece, they left the two states alone. The Ottomans were willing to preserve peace, yet they finally declared war on Greece after the bands of Greek irregulars crossed the border. This monograph, based on a multi-sided bibliography including Ottoman and British official documents, intends to shed some light on the international politics of the time.