Cosmopolitan imperialists and the ottoman port cities. Conflicting logics in the urban social fabric

Abstract

In the autumn of 1914, the outbreak of war led to a tragically comical scene in Smyrna (Izmir). An Englishman who was boarding the tram discovered in one of the seats the German consul, Gustav Humbert, previously a frequent guest at garden parties on British estates in the suburbs of Buca and Burnabat (Bornova). 1 The Englishman greeted Humbert warmly, sat down next to the consul, who remained silent and refused to take notice of him. Trying to lighten up a difficult situation, the Englishman began talking, « Well, Mr. Humbert, what do you think of the war? I say, nothing is better than a good quarrel among friends. » At this point the red-faced German burst out screaming, « Provided the quarrel be a good one! » 2 This little anecdote perfectly illustrates the conflicting logics that could arise in East Mediterranean port cities. When international relationships were peaceful, residents of the port cities would intermingle according to class; consuls of all states would be heartily welcomed at the festivities of the wealthy entrepreneurs and merchants. This feeling of being 'at home' amongst one's own class was supported by the notion of sharing a common cultural superiority, of belonging to the 'civilized nations', juxtaposed to the uneducated or traditionalist strata of Ottoman society. However the logic of war disrupted this bond of shared class membership and common assumed cultural superiority and demanded a reconfiguration of solidarities according to decisions made in London or Berlin. These new logics of German-Austrian-Turkish and English-French-Armenian camaraderie locked in antagonizing conflict had not previously been dominant in the local context of Smyrna. The aforementioned nameless Englishman seeks to downplay the disruptive force the logic of war could have on Smyrna's patterns of socializing by denying the antagonist nature of the war ("a good quarrel among friends"). The Cosmopolitan imperialists and the ottoman port cities. Conflicting logics in ...

Αστικοί Μετασχηματισμοί Και Εξέλιξη Πόλεων - Λιμανιών Της Ανατολικής Μεσογείου (19ος - 20ος Αιώνας)

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