31 March Incident
Encyclopedia
The 31 March Incident was a 1909 rebellion of reactionaries in İstanbul
against the restoration of constitutional monarchy
that had taken place in 1908. It took place on 13 April 1909 (31 March on the Rumi calendar
in use at the time in Turkey
for official timekeeping). The countercoup had attempted to put an end to the nascent Second Constitutional Era
in the Ottoman Empire
and to the newly established influence of the Committee of Union and Progress
, in order to re-affirm the position of the Sultan Abdul Hamid II
as absolute monarch.
The incident was a milestone in the Turkish military's encroaching on the political sphere.
The counter-coup, led by a certain Dervish Vahdeti, reigned supreme in İstanbul
for a few days. It was put down by Hareket Ordusu (The Army of Action) constituted in urgence with troops stationed in the Balkans
and which rapidly departed from Selanik. Among the officers who entered the capital was a young captain named Mustafa Kemal
.
A few weeks after the re-establishment of order, Sultan Abdul Hamid II himself was deposed and sent to exile in Selanik, and replaced by his brother Mehmed V
Reşad.
's relations with Ottoman Empire marking the end of the one year old co-operation, as the planners of the countercoup believed that they had unlimited British support behind it.
The incident led to a change of Grand Vizier
, and Ahmed Tevfik Pasha
assumed the position. He was the last Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire.
was erected 1911 in Şişli
district of Istanbul.
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
against the restoration of constitutional monarchy
Second Constitutional Era (Ottoman Empire)
The Second Constitutional Era of the Ottoman Empire began shortly after Sultan Abdülhamid II restored the constitutional monarchy after the 1908 Young Turk Revolution. The period established many political groups...
that had taken place in 1908. It took place on 13 April 1909 (31 March on the Rumi calendar
Rumi calendar
This is about the solar Ottoman calendar based on the Julian calendar. For the lunar Hijri calendar see Islamic calendar.The Rumi calendar , a specific calendar based on the Julian calendar but starting with the year of Muhammad's emigration in 622 AD, was officially used by the Ottoman Empire...
in use at the time in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
for official timekeeping). The countercoup had attempted to put an end to the nascent Second Constitutional Era
Second Constitutional Era (Ottoman Empire)
The Second Constitutional Era of the Ottoman Empire began shortly after Sultan Abdülhamid II restored the constitutional monarchy after the 1908 Young Turk Revolution. The period established many political groups...
in the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and to the newly established influence of the Committee of Union and Progress
Committee of Union and Progress
The Committee of Union and Progress began as a secret society established as the "Committee of Ottoman Union" in 1889 by the medical students İbrahim Temo, Abdullah Cevdet, İshak Sükuti and Ali Hüseyinzade...
, in order to re-affirm the position of the Sultan Abdul Hamid II
Abdul Hamid II
His Imperial Majesty, The Sultan Abdülhamid II, Emperor of the Ottomans, Caliph of the Faithful was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire...
as absolute monarch.
The incident was a milestone in the Turkish military's encroaching on the political sphere.
Event
| Event 1 | Revolution | Young Turk Revolution Young Turk Revolution The Young Turk Revolution of 1908 reversed the suspension of the Ottoman parliament by Sultan Abdul Hamid II, marking the onset of the Second Constitutional Era... |
| Event 2 | Counter-coup | Countercoup (1909) Countercoup (1909) The Countercoup of 1909 was an attempt to dismantle the Second Constitutional Era of the Ottoman Empire and replace it with a monarchy under Sultan Abdul Hamid II... |
| Event 3 | Counter Revolution | 31 March Incident |
The counter-coup, led by a certain Dervish Vahdeti, reigned supreme in İstanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
for a few days. It was put down by Hareket Ordusu (The Army of Action) constituted in urgence with troops stationed in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and which rapidly departed from Selanik. Among the officers who entered the capital was a young captain named Mustafa Kemal
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
.
A few weeks after the re-establishment of order, Sultan Abdul Hamid II himself was deposed and sent to exile in Selanik, and replaced by his brother Mehmed V
Mehmed V
Mehmed V Reshad was the 35th Ottoman Sultan. He was the son of Sultan Abdülmecid I. He was succeeded by his half-brother Mehmed VI.-Birth:...
Reşad.
Effects
It has been suggested that the incident constituted a breakdown between BritainUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's relations with Ottoman Empire marking the end of the one year old co-operation, as the planners of the countercoup believed that they had unlimited British support behind it.
The incident led to a change of Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
, and Ahmed Tevfik Pasha
Ahmed Tevfik Pasha
Ahmed Tevfik Pasha was the last Ottoman grand vizier. Ahmed Tevfik Pasha held office four times, from 13 April 1909 to 5 May 1909 under Abdulhamid II, and then under Mehmed V Reşad...
assumed the position. He was the last Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire.
Memorial
In memorial of the 74 soldiers killed in action during this event, the Monument of LibertyMonument of Liberty, Istanbul
The Monument of Liberty , located in the neighborhood of Çağlayan in Şişli district of Istanbul, Turkey, is a memorial in honor of soldiers killed during the Radical Islamic attacks against the Ottoman Empire's House of Parliament....
was erected 1911 in Şişli
Sisli
Şişli is one of 39 districts of Istanbul, Turkey. Located on the European side of the city, it is bordered by Beşiktaş to the east, Sarıyer to the north, Eyüp and Kağıthane to the west, and Beyoğlu to the south...
district of Istanbul.