Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha
Encyclopedia
Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha (1855 1922/1923) was a statesman and twice Grand vizier
of the Ottoman Empire
in the wake of the Second Constitutional Era and was also Co-founder and Head of the Turkish Red Crescent
. Hüseyin Hilmi was one of the most successful Ottoman administrators in the explosive Balkans
of the early 20th century, becoming the Ottoman Inspector
-General
of Macedonia
from 1902 to 1908, Ottoman Minister
for the Interior from 1908 to 1909 and Ottoman Ambassador
at Vienna
from 1912 to 1918.
ancestry who had formerly converted to Islam
. He did his primary studies in Lesbos, and he also learned good French
at an early age. He started out as a clerk in the Ottoman state structure and gradually climbing the ladder of the hierarchy, became the governor of Adana
in 1897 and of Yemen
in 1902. The same year, he was appointed inspector general with responsibility over virtually all the Balkan territories of the Ottoman Empire at the time, namely the vilayets of Salonica, Kosovo and Monastir.
After the re-enactment of the Ottoman constitution in 1908, he was appointed as Interior Minister, and then served as grand vizier, at first between 14 February 1909 and 13 April 1909 under Abdülhamid II and then, re-assuming the post a month later, between 5 May 1909 and 28 December 1909. As such, in his first vizierate, he was the last grand vizier of Abdülhamid II. This first vizierate had had to be suddenly interrupted because of the so-called 31 March Incident
, when for a month fundamentalists reigned in the streets of Istanbul
until the arrival of an extraordinary army from Salonica.
He also held the post of Minister of Justice in the succeeding Gazi Ahmed Muhtar Pasha cabinet. In October 1912, he was sent as Ottoman ambassador to Vienna
, a position he held until the end of World War I
. Due to health problems, he remained in Vienna until his death in 1922. He was buried in Beşiktaş
, Istanbul.
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...
of 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...
in the wake of the Second Constitutional Era and was also Co-founder and Head of the Turkish Red Crescent
Turkish Red Crescent
Turkish Red Crescent is the largest humanitarian organization in Turkey and is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement....
. Hüseyin Hilmi was one of the most successful Ottoman administrators in the explosive Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
of the early 20th century, becoming the Ottoman Inspector
Inspector
Inspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
-General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
of Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
from 1902 to 1908, Ottoman Minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
for the Interior from 1908 to 1909 and Ottoman Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
at Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
from 1912 to 1918.
Early life
Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha was born in 1855 on Lesbos (Midilli) to a family of GreekGreeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
ancestry who had formerly converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. He did his primary studies in Lesbos, and he also learned good French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
at an early age. He started out as a clerk in the Ottoman state structure and gradually climbing the ladder of the hierarchy, became the governor of Adana
Adana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
in 1897 and of Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
in 1902. The same year, he was appointed inspector general with responsibility over virtually all the Balkan territories of the Ottoman Empire at the time, namely the vilayets of Salonica, Kosovo and Monastir.
After the re-enactment of the Ottoman constitution in 1908, he was appointed as Interior Minister, and then served as grand vizier, at first between 14 February 1909 and 13 April 1909 under Abdülhamid II and then, re-assuming the post a month later, between 5 May 1909 and 28 December 1909. As such, in his first vizierate, he was the last grand vizier of Abdülhamid II. This first vizierate had had to be suddenly interrupted because of the so-called 31 March Incident
31 March Incident
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...
, when for a month fundamentalists reigned in the streets 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...
until the arrival of an extraordinary army from Salonica.
He also held the post of Minister of Justice in the succeeding Gazi Ahmed Muhtar Pasha cabinet. In October 1912, he was sent as Ottoman ambassador to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, a position he held until the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Due to health problems, he remained in Vienna until his death in 1922. He was buried in Beşiktaş
Besiktas
Beşiktaş is a municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European shore of the Bosphorus. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and Şişli, on the west by Kağıthane and Şişli, on the south by Beyoğlu, and on the east by the Bosphorus...
, Istanbul.