Waging war with rallies: Ottoman public opinion and the Balkan response (1912-1913)

This thesis examines the rallies, demonstrations, and conferences held in the Ottoman Empire during the Balkan Wars in their historical and social contexts. The study analyzes in detail the purposes of organizing these forms of social mobilization, the content of the speeches delivered, the structure of the committees involved in organizing the rallies, the level of participation and role of the public in these events, and the geographical distribution and spatial preferences of the rallies. In addition, material aid collected through rallies, military support initiatives, and other organizational elements are also evaluated, revealing the multidimensional responses of the public to the war process during that period. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the Balkan Wars and examine the attitudes and reactions of the people during the war, the documents of the Ottoman Archives of the State Archives Presidency and the periodicals in the Ankara University Newspaper Archives and the National Library Archives were primarily used in the writing process. The first section of the study examines in detail the rallies and demonstrations held in Istanbul, Anatolia, the Balkans, the Arab world, America, and India during the First Balkan War. The second section discusses the rallies held in Edirne, Izmir, Istanbul, and Midye to commemorate the recapture of Edirne, as well as the "Edirne Trip" events organized by Darülfünun students. This section occupies an important place in the context of military and social history. Through rallies, an increase in the political participation awareness and social power of the people can be observed; this situation has paved the way for the people to become a guiding actor in shaping the state's decision to go to war. This study is based on analyses of information and documents from the relevant period and aims to make meaningful contributions to research in the field of Balkan history.