Constantinople : a city under threat July 1922
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Abstract
This article will compare the press accounts of four major newspapers
—the New York Times, The Times of London, The Age and Argus (Melbourne, Australia)— reporting of the Greek attempt to occupy the city of Constantinople in July 1922. It will also compare newspaper accounts with that of
archival sources-manuscripts, published and unpublished documents. These four newspapers were pre-eminent and had political influence in respective countries. As important publications they attained their reputation through reliability and for presenting the most convincing image of government thinking. The élite members of society-civil servants, scholars, politicians, religious and business leaders read them. The Greek threat to occupy Constantinople is a news-value event for three important reasons. Firstly, Constantinople was under British, French and Italian occupation as part of the provisions of the Treaty of Sevres; secondly it was the capital of the Ottoman Empire under the authority of the Sultan; and finally there was a possibility of conflict between Greece and the occupying powers in Constantinople. With the Greek-Turkish War 1919-1922 in a stalemate situation, the Greeks considered the occupation of Constantinople as their last attempt to force the Kemalists into action. To their surprise, the
allies were not prepared to allow them to occupy this city. The Allies took the
Greek threat seriously by taking the necessary military and naval measures in
order to forestall a Greek advance on Constantinople. The press articles on
the attempted Greek occupation were anti-Greek in tone. This was due to King
Constantine’s pro-German sympathies during the First World War.
—the New York Times, The Times of London, The Age and Argus (Melbourne, Australia)— reporting of the Greek attempt to occupy the city of Constantinople in July 1922. It will also compare newspaper accounts with that of
archival sources-manuscripts, published and unpublished documents. These four newspapers were pre-eminent and had political influence in respective countries. As important publications they attained their reputation through reliability and for presenting the most convincing image of government thinking. The élite members of society-civil servants, scholars, politicians, religious and business leaders read them. The Greek threat to occupy Constantinople is a news-value event for three important reasons. Firstly, Constantinople was under British, French and Italian occupation as part of the provisions of the Treaty of Sevres; secondly it was the capital of the Ottoman Empire under the authority of the Sultan; and finally there was a possibility of conflict between Greece and the occupying powers in Constantinople. With the Greek-Turkish War 1919-1922 in a stalemate situation, the Greeks considered the occupation of Constantinople as their last attempt to force the Kemalists into action. To their surprise, the
allies were not prepared to allow them to occupy this city. The Allies took the
Greek threat seriously by taking the necessary military and naval measures in
order to forestall a Greek advance on Constantinople. The press articles on
the attempted Greek occupation were anti-Greek in tone. This was due to King
Constantine’s pro-German sympathies during the First World War.
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