Political Reform in the Ottoman and Russian Empires: A Comparative Approach

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Throughout the long 19th century, the Ottoman and Russian empires shared a goal of destroying one another. Yet, they also shared a similar vision for imperial state renewal, with the goal of avoiding revolution, decline and isolation within Europe. Adrian Brisku explores how this path of renewal and reform manifested itself: forging new laws and institutions, opening up the economy to the outside world, and entering the European political community of imperial states. Political Reform in the Ottoman and Russian Empires tackles the dilemma faced by both empires, namely how to bring about meaningful change without undermining the legal, political and economic status quo. The book offers a unique comparison of Ottoman and Russian politics of reform and their connection to the wider European politico-economic space.

Reviews

[A] highly readable comparative account of the ultimately unsuccessful trajectories of political reform in the Ottoman and Russian Empires [A] good introduction to students and nonspecialists seeking to learn the basic narrative and gain some comparative insight into top-down reform projects in the nineteenth century. * H-Empire *
This is an excellent, original, and comprehensive study of the Ottoman and Russian states efforts, mainly in the nineteenth century, to assure the survival of their countries and revitalize their societies through a series of legal-administrative reforms I recommend Briskus book highly to students of Russia and the Ottoman Empire. * The Russian Review *
By virtue of demonstrating the benefits of theoretical and methodological reflection in historiography, as well as providing a groundwork on which further comparative and integrative research can be built, Briskus work stands as a valuable contribution to the literature. * English Historical Review *
In this innovative effort, Brisku has succeeded in portraying two societies in near constant war with each other ... A good read, offering a window into a part of the world still preoccupied with the purity of the nation and busy reconstructing a mythical people and the blessing of God under increasingly tyrannical rule. * American Historical Review *
Original and novel work... [which is] commendable. * Regnum Journal (Bloomsbury translation) *
Through a detailed and deeply theoretical investigation of nineteenth-century reform processes in the Ottoman and Russian Empires, Adrian Brisku offers a ground-breaking and thought-provoking framework for the emerging field of comparative Ottoman and Russian imperial studies. * Andrew Robarts, Assistant Professor, Rhode Island School of Design, USA *
Adrian Briskus masterful comparison of two peripheral European Empires, Russia and the Ottoman Empire, during political reforms of the 19th c. produces a vivid and personalized account of two high civil servants whose attempts at establishing a nascent constitutional order were met with swift failure. Briskus genius stroke is to make us rethink institutions, constitutions and the tension between change and stability in large, multi-ethnic polities. * Benoit Challand, Associate Professor, New School for Social Research, USA *

Author Bio

Adrian Brisku is Lecturer in history at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. He is the author of Bittersweet Europe (2013).