The Balkan Reconquista and Turkey's Forgotten Refugee Crisis

During the Russo-Ottoman War of 18771878, Russian troops, Cossack auxiliaries, and local Bulgarians participated in what today would be called ethnic cleansing. Tensions in the Balkans between Christians and Muslims ended in disaster when hundreds of thousands of Muslims were massacred, raped, and forced to flee from Bulgaria to Turkey as their villages were sacked and their homes destroyed. In this book, William H. Holt tells the story of a people and moment in time that has largely been neglected in modern Turkish and Balkan memory. Holt uncovers the reasons for this mass forgetting, finding context both within the development of the modern Turkish state and the workings of collective memory. Bringing together a wide array of eyewitness accounts, the book provides unprecedented detail on the plight of the Muslim refugees in their flight from Bulgaria, in Istanbul, and in their resettlement in Anatolia. In crisp, clear, and engaging prose, Holt offers an insightful analysis of human suffering and social memory. Table of Contents: List of Figures Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Twilight in Turkey-in-Europe 2. Bag and Baggage 3. Massacre and Expulsion 4. Refuge and Resettlement 5. Aphasia and Amnesia Epilogue Chronology Notes Works Cited Index Praise and Reviews: Holt presents new data, a discourse about the lack of data, and frames the problem within new theories about memory and history. At the same time, the book is very engaging, even when the subject matter is dark and disturbing. Holt has a good writing style that flows and does not become overly technical. It is accessible for the general reader as well as for the college student. Pam Sezgin, professor of anthropology and history, University of North Georgia A much-needed account of a forgotten trauma: the massacres, flight and expulsion of Muslims from the Balkans after 1876, focusing on what is now Bulgaria. William Holts compelling narrative illuminates the nature of memory and nationalism, as well as the origins of ethnic cleansing in the Balkans. Philip Mansel, author of Constantinople, City of the Worlds Desire "The Balkan reconquista and Turkey's forgotten refugee crisis brings together a wide array of eyewitness accounts to provide unprecedented detail on the plight of Muslims during the Russo-Ottoman war of 1877-78 when massacres, rapes, and the looting and burning of their villages led hundreds of thousands of Muslims to flee from Bulgaria into Turkey. The book explores the tensions between Muslims and Christians in the Balkans before 1877, the ethnic cleansing and migration that resulted, the subsequent refugee crisis in Istanbul, and the resettlement of refugees in Anatolia. Author William Holt seeks to understand why these events, clearly important in Turkish history, are so little known in Turkey today. In crisp and engaging prose, he provides a compelling narrative and insightful analysis about human suffering and social memory"--Provided by publisher "Balkan Reconquista and the End of Turkey-in-Europe brings together a wide array of eyewitness accounts to provide unprecedented detail on the plight of Muslims during the Russo-Ottoman war of 1877-78 when massacres, rapes, and the looting and burning of their villages led hundreds of thousands of Muslims to flee from Bulgaria into Turkey. The book explores the tensions between Muslims and Christians in the Balkans before 1877, the ethnic cleansing and migration that resulted, the subsequent refugee crisis in Istanbul, and the resettlement of refugees in Anatolia. Author William Holt seeks to understand why these events, clearly important in Turkish history, are so little known in Turkey today. In crisp and engaging prose, he provides a compelling narrative and insightful analysis about human suffering and social memory"--Provided by publisher Contents 8 List of Figures 10 Acknowledgments 12 Introduction 14 1. Twilight in Turkey-in-Europe 26 2. Bag and Baggage 72 3. Massacre and Expulsion 118 4. Refuge and Resettlement 174 5. Aphasia and Amnesia 227 Epilogue 288 Chronology and Relevant Place-Names 290 Notes 294 Works Cited 320 Index 332