20th Century Revolutions

ISM is a narrative history podcast about political ideologies and social movements—socialism, anarchism, fascism, liberalism, and beyond. Each season explores a major ideology through immersive storytelling and historical analysis, tracing how ideas move from theory into the real world, shaping revolutions, states, and everyday life. Ideas Meet Power. Written and produced by Matt Payne. Support, S...

On June 28, 1914, a single city became the fault line between empires, nations, and ideologies. In Sarajevo, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand set in motion a chain of events that would drag Europe into total war. But the shots fired that morning did not emerge from a vacuum. They were shaped by decades of imperial rule, nationalist movements, revolutionary politics, and a generation c...

We made it! As the Ottomans approach that apocalyptic vortex called World War I, they are led into the abyss by the CUP and the "Three Pashas": Talaat, Enver, and Cemal (in order of importance... sorry Cemal). Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patre...

Talaat makes the plan. Enver gets the glory. Djemal is along for the ride. Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mattpayne Make a One Time Donation: PayPal

The First Balkan War did not go so well for the Ottomans. Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mattpayne Make a One Time Donation: PayPal

Ismail Enver, Mustafa Kemal, and other Unionist officers launch a guerrilla war to drive the invading Italians out of Libya. After the Italians open up a new front in the Aegean, the CUP faces a major crisis in Istanbul as the "Savior Officers" launch a coup to overthrow their government. Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other med...

Exit Ottomanism. Enter Turkification. Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mattpayne Make a One Time Donation: PayPal

General Mahmud Shevket leads a large multi-ethnic army out of Salonica and marches on Istanbul. Helping Shevket fight reactionaries in the capital would be other officers of destiny like Niyazi, Enver, Cemal, Mustafa Kemal, and of course, the Lucky Deer. Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcent...

As the counterrevolution gripped Istanbul in 1909, the dream of Islamic modernism cracked, giving way to that fateful split between secular nationalism and political Islam. Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mattpayne Make a One Time Do...

In October of 1908, the Ottomans lost Bulgaria to independence, Bosnia to Austria, and Crete to Greece. And then Europe is steamrolling towards for the Great War as Russia and Austria try to regain their lost imperial prestige. Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon:...

After the Young Turk Revolution, the Ottoman people let loose for a while and had one big, multi-ethnic party. Long live the constitution! Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mattpayne Make a One Time Donation: PayPal

Ladies and Gents, we have made it. So sit back, relax, and watch as the CUP menaces the Sultan into reinstating the Midhat Constitution. Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mattpayne Make a One Time Donation: PayPal

Trouble is-a-brewing in Macedonia as the CUP infiltrates and radicalizes the Third Army and as the "Heroes of Liberty," officers Ismail Enver and Ahmed Niyazi, prepare their bands for a mutiny. Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mattpay...

Under Dr. Sakir, the Committee of Union and Progress became the Committee of Progress and Union. Yeah, not that creative... Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mattpayne Make a One Time Donation: PayPal

His name was Talaat, and he was the revolutionary mailman, delivering Salonica's mail by day and conspiring with revolutionaries and freemasons by night. Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mattpayne Make a One Time Donation: PayPal

In the summer of 1905, the Armenian Dashnaks would seek their revenge against the Red Sultan for his involvement in the Hamidian Massacres. In the process, they would earn a spot in the record books as the first ever recorded use of a car bomb. Yippee! Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcentur...

With a short-lived anarchist commune, a terrorist bombing campaign, an attempted multi-ethnic Macedonian republic, and a botched Great Power intervention, the Ilinden Uprising was a colorful affair. Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/ma...

Gotse Delchev, the revolutionary apostle reborn, works to construct a state within a state in Macedonia and Thrace. Yane Sandanski, his close disciple, kidnaps a protestant missionary and sets off America's very first hostage crisis. Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Pa...

Everybody in the Balkans wants Macedonia. This fact makes everything a wee bit confusing. Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mattpayne Make a One Time Donation: PayPal

This 1902 Congress would mark a major turning point in the Young Turk movement. But most importantly, we have finally made it to the twentieth century. Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mattpayne Make a One Time Donation: PayPal

Wherein Muhammed Abduh and al-Afghani try to bring Islam back to its previous glory by reopening the gate of ijtihad and then kicking the British out of the East. Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mattpayne Make a One Time Donation: Pa...

So, Ahmed Riza was a positivist. But, like, what does that even mean? "Order and Progress!" Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mattpayne Make a One Time Donation: PayPal

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Committee of Union and Progress... Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mattpayne Make a One Time Donation: PayPal

Before there were Young Turks, there were Young Ottomans. But just to make it extra confusing for those of us living in the future, everyone called them Young Turks. "Long Live the Fatherland!" Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mattpay...

As the Hamidian Massacres raged throughout the Ottoman Empire, a small group of Armenian Dashnaks decided to takeover the Imperial Ottoman Bank, hoping that the Great Powers might finally come to their aid. Season 2: The Young Turks - Revolutions of the Ottoman Collapse, pt. 2 For helpful maps, photos, and other media, check out the website: 20thcenturyrevolutions.com Patreon: https://www.patreon....