few of
which had much in common, and all of which cherished for each other
antipathies and jealousies almost as old as history. The racial problem
of Turkey would be less difficult if the races were only located side by
side in solid masses. With few exceptions the races interpenetrate one
another to a remarkable extent and the Turk himself is numerically in
the majority in comparatively few districts of Asia Minor, where the
bulk of the Turkish population lives, and in scarcely any part of
European Turkey. The Turks are literally overlords, a ruling class.

[Sidenote: Turkey's weak political fabric.]

The Turk has governed this vast territory and this conglomeration of
races and religions by a peculiarly weak political fabric which seemed
in the nineteenth century to combine in one structure all the
disadvantages of centralization, and all those of decentralization.
Subject peoples have been ruled by a combination of military, civil, and
religious authority which has been dependent in the long run for its
support on the army. However, had the subject peoples hated each other
less cordially, had they been more capable of organization and willing
to compromise, they might have ended the Turkish rule decades ago, army
or no army. Some observers, indeed, have thought the Turkish Government
an artificial sham kept alive by France and England for their own
purposes. Whatever reasons were to be given, the Germans and the Turks
saw that Turkey as a nation and Turkey as a state had been, both of
them, practically non-existent. Both had been names, not realities.
Turkey had appeared on the European maps. A series of so-called
statesmen had taken European bribes in Constantinople; numerous
incompetent and venal officials had robbed the populace with the help of
the soldiers in the provinces, and this Government plus the army was
Turkey. Turkey had, indeed, been sick, but that particular kind of
illness, the Turks thought, could be cured; and the Germans agreed with
them.

[Sidenote: Germany's willingness to assist Turkey.]

[Sidenote: Germany's influence in Turkey.]

[Sidenote: Reasons for Turkey's joining Germany.]

We must not forget as observers the exceeding importance of German
willingness to assist the ambitions of the educated Turks for
self-government and for independence from European influence. The
English and French control of Turkey was fortuitous and artificial and
depended solely upon the control of a little