GENERAL SITUATION IN THE PROVINCE OF ADRIANOPLE AFTER THE PROCLAMATION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY: CONSUL SAMSON’S REPORT (1909)

Ferdi Ertekin

Article Details

GENERAL SITUATION IN THE PROVINCE OF ADRIANOPLE AFTER THE PROCLAMATION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY: CONSUL SAMSON’S REPORT (1909)

Authors:

Ferdi Ertekin

Publisher:

Dokuz Eylul University

Main Topics:

Yakınçağ Osmanlı Tarihi

Journal:

Çağdaş Türkiye Tarihi Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.23 Issue 47, pp.539-558

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001308182

pISSN:

1300-0756

Keywords:

Abstract:

 One of the main reliable sources of information for British intelligence in general and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in particular in the province of Adrianople was consular reports. These reports are important because they fed a vast London-centred intelligence network that spread to almost three quarters of the world in the 19th century and influenced British decision-making. In addition, such reports can shed light on the British perspective of the period and provide clues as to how the imperial bureaucracy functioned in the Adrianople province after the transition to the constitutional monarchy, which can be considered one of the most critical periods in Turkish history. Samson, a diplomat with a military background, served as the British Consul in the province of Adrianople between 1906 and 1914. During this period, he wrote reports on the military, political, administrative, demographic and topographical structure of the province of Adrianople and supported missionary activities in the province. This article focuses on the biography of Louis Lort Rhys L.L.R. Samson, about whom there is not much information in the local and foreign literature, and the report he wrote about the province while he was the provincial consul of Adrianople. This report, dated 31 March 1909, is in the Cabinet Office Files at the National Archives in London. The report gives a brief account of the general situation in the province from the proclamation of the Constitutional Monarchy on 23 July 1908 to March 1909.

 One of the main reliable sources of information for British intelligence in general and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in particular in the province of Adrianople was consular reports. These reports are important because they fed a vast London-centred intelligence network that spread to almost three quarters of the world in the 19th century and influenced British decision-making. In addition, such reports can shed light on the British perspective of the period and provide clues as to how the imperial bureaucracy functioned in the Adrianople province after the transition to the constitutional monarchy, which can be considered one of the most critical periods in Turkish history. Samson, a diplomat with a military background, served as the British Consul in the province of Adrianople between 1906 and 1914. During this period, he wrote reports on the military, political, administrative, demographic and topographical structure of the province of Adrianople and supported missionary activities in the province. This article focuses on the biography of Louis Lort Rhys L.L.R. Samson, about whom there is not much information in the local and foreign literature, and the report he wrote about the province while he was the provincial consul of Adrianople. This report, dated 31 March 1909, is in the Cabinet Office Files at the National Archives in London. The report gives a brief account of the general situation in the province from the proclamation of the Constitutional Monarchy on 23 July 1908 to March 1909.

 One of the main reliable sources of information for British intelligence in general and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in particular in the province of Adrianople was consular reports. These reports are important because they fed a vast London-centred intelligence network that spread to almost three quarters of the world in the 19th century and influenced British decision-making. In addition, such reports can shed light on the British perspective of the period and provide clues as to how the imperial bureaucracy functioned in the Adrianople province after the transition to the constitutional monarchy, which can be considered one of the most critical periods in Turkish history. Samson, a diplomat with a military background, served as the British Consul in the province of Adrianople between 1906 and 1914. During this period, he wrote reports on the military, political, administrative, demographic and topographical structure of the province of Adrianople and supported missionary activities in the province. This article focuses on the biography of Louis Lort Rhys L.L.R. Samson, about whom there is not much information in the local and foreign literature, and the report he wrote about the province while he was the provincial consul of Adrianople. This report, dated 31 March 1909, is in the Cabinet Office Files at the National Archives in London. The report gives a brief account of the general situation in the province from the proclamation of the Constitutional Monarchy on 23 July 1908 to March 1909.

 Genelde İngiliz istihbaratının özelde İngiliz Dışişlerinin Edirne Vilayetindeki başlıca güvenilir istihbarat kaynaklarından biri konsolos raporlarıdır. Bu raporlar, 19. Yüzyılda dünyanın neredeyse dörtte üçüne yayılmış Londra merkezli devasa bir istihbarat çarkını beslemesi ve Britanyanın karar alma mekanizması üzerinde tesiri olması açısından önem arz etmektedir. Ayrıca bu tip raporlardan dönemin İngiliz perspektifine ışık tutabilmek ve Türk tarihinin en kritik safhalarından biri olarak değerlendirilebilecek meşruti monarşiye geçiş sonrası Edirne Vilayeti örneğinden hareketle imparatorluk bürokrasinin işleyişine dair ipuçları edinmek mümkündür. Asker kökenli bir diplomat olan Samson, 1906-1914 yılları arasında Britanyanın Edirne Vilayet Konsolosluğu görevini yürütmüştür. Bu süre zarfında Edirne vilayetinin askeri, politik, idari, demografik ve topoğrafik yapısı hakkında raporlar kaleme almış ve vilayetteki misyonerlik faaliyetlerini de desteklemiştir. Bu makale, yerli ve yabancı literatürde hakkında fazla bilgi bulunmayan Louis Lort Rhys L.L.R. Samsonun biyografisi ile konsolosluk vazifesini yürütmekteyken vilayet hakkında kaleme aldığı raporu merkezine almaktadır. 31 Mart 1909 tarihli bu rapor, Londrada The National Archivesde Cabinet Office Files tasnifinde yer almaktadır. Rapor, 23 Temmuz 1908de İkinci Meşrutiyetin ilanından Mart 1909a kadar, vilayetteki genel durumun kesitler halinde genel manzarasını ortaya koymaktadır.

Article Details

GENERAL SITUATION IN THE PROVINCE OF ADRIANOPLE AFTER THE PROCLAMATION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY: CONSUL SAMSON’S REPORT (1909)

Authors:

Ferdi Ertekin

Publisher:

Dokuz Eylul University

Main Topics:

Yakınçağ Osmanlı Tarihi

Journal:

Çağdaş Türkiye Tarihi Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.23 Issue 47, pp.539-558

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001308182

pISSN:

1300-0756

Louis Lort Rhys Samson

Province of Adrianople

Committee of Union and Progress

Constitutional Monarchy Administration

Lieutenant-Colonel Mustafa Kemal.Louis Lort Rhys Samson

Edirne Vilâyeti

İttihat ve Terakki

II. Meşrutiyet

Yarbay Mustafa Kemal.

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Ferdi Ertekin

Publisher: Dokuz Eylul University

Main Topics: Yakınçağ Osmanlı Tarihi

Journal: Çağdaş Türkiye Tarihi Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.23 Issue 47, pp.539-558

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 12/2023

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001308182

pISSN: 1300-0756

Issues

Authors:

Ferdi Ertekin

Publisher:

Dokuz Eylul University

Main Topics:

Yakınçağ Osmanlı Tarihi

Journal:

Çağdaş Türkiye Tarihi Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.23 Issue 47, pp.539-558

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001308182

pISSN:

1300-0756