Traces of Coercive Diplomacy: Forcing The Ottoman Empire to Accept an International Machinary of Financial Control in Macedonia (1905)

Abstract

A group among the Great Powers leaded by England considered that the failure of the reform programs that were implemented under Russian and Austrian control in the provinces of Thessaloniki, Bitola and Kosovo in the Ottoman Rumelia stemmed from the financial reasons. Therefore, they came up with the idea that there should be installed an international machinery of financial control in the Macedonia region. For this purpose, it was envisioned a Financial Commission consisting of foreign experts to be founded. Ottoman Empire firmly resisted this demand for a relatively long time arguing it impaired her independence and sovereignty. In order to persuade the Ottoman government means of coercive diplomacy was applied. This article looks for the traces of coercive diplomacy utilized against the Ottoman Empire in order to persuade her to accept the establishment of an international financial control and deals the subject in this perspective.