NYSED Global History and Geography Online Resource Guide: Turningpoints

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At the end of world War I, French, British and Greek forces occupied much of the former Ottoman Empire. New nation states were created in the Middle East that satisfied the imperialistic leaning of the victorious European powers but that had ongoing and lasting repercussions. Mustafa Kemal, the new Turkish leader adopted a policy to make Turkey a modern, secular nation-state. He introduced western laws, the Latin alphabet, gave women civil equality, and even adopted western style clothing, Ataturk’s reforms took hold in urban areas, but in rural areas, where Islamic traditions were strong, people resisted change. Many of the issues that the modern secular Turkish state faced, still confront much of the Islamic world. The issue remains how to balance traditional values with modernization.

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Additional Resources:

Multi-Regional Empires

Unit:

Standards:

Civics,
Citizenship, and Government

Related Turning Points:

Related Topics:

	World War I
	Genocide
	Status of Women - Women's Rights
	Global Terrorism

Armenian Diaspora
Westernization
Secularism

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