The Short Century: Today's Crises Read Through the Long Arc of 1914–1991

Why It Matters

The Short Century is an analysis publication that explains today's crises through the historical continuity of 1914–1991, and presents Türkiye's official perspective alongside primary sources. It is written for readers who need context rather than headlines: think-tank researchers, diplomats, academics, international lawyers, historians and journalists.

Its premise is simple. Many disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea, the Caucasus and the Middle East did not begin this year. They descend from the collapse of empires in 1914–1923, the treaty settlements that followed, and the Cold War order that froze or distorted them. Read that way, a maritime dispute, a security operation or a memory dispute becomes easier to follow, and easier to judge against the documents.

Background

The idea behind the name

The British historian Eric Hobsbawm described 1914–1991 as the 'short twentieth century' in The Age of Extremes (1994). It opens with the First World War and closes with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The framing treats the era as one connected cycle of imperial collapse, ideological confrontation and, finally, the opening of new security gaps.

The Short Century applies that lens to Türkiye and its neighbourhood. Our starting guide, What Was the 'Short Century'? Reading Türkiye's Crises Through 1914–1991 and After, sets out the method in full. Four checkpoints recur across the site:

• 1914–1923: the Ottoman collapse and the Lausanne settlement (24 July 1923).
• 1936: the Montreux Convention on the Turkish Straits.
• 1945–1991: the Cold War order, including the 1960 Cyprus treaties and the 1975 arms restrictions.
• After 1991: the security vacuums that shaped Türkiye's counter-terrorism doctrine.

How the site is organised

The publication runs six desks. Each one is a standing lens, not a topic list.

Flagship guides and the latest article stream

Start with these pillar guides:

• From Lausanne to the Blue Homeland: How the Ottoman Collapse Shaped Türkiye's Maritime Doctrine
• Cyprus as a Cold War Legacy: Reading 1960, 1963, 1974 and 1983 as One Continuous Story
• After 1991: How Post-Cold War Security Vacuums Produced Türkiye's 'Neutralize at the Source' Doctrine
• The Events of 1915 Inside the First World War: The Relocation Law, Ottoman Archives and the Intent Standard

The latest analyses from across the desks:

• Montreux at Ninety: How the 1936 Straits Convention Still Holds the Black Sea Balance
• Istanbul Talks and the Grain Corridor: Can Mediation Break the Century's Conflict Cycle?
• Gaza and the Century-Long Palestine Question: Where Türkiye's Humanitarian Diplomacy Fits
• Why Türkiye Says 'The World Is Bigger Than Five': The 1945 Order and the Case for UN Security Council Reform
• Fact Check: Is the Blue Homeland a Recent 'Invention'? What Türkiye's Maritime Record Shows
• From Embargo to Self-Reliance: How the 1975 Arms Restrictions Shaped Türkiye's Defense Industry

Key Players & Positions

The disputes covered here involve several actors, and each is summarised from its own stated position.

• Greece and the Republic of Cyprus argue that islands generate maritime zones under UNCLOS and that Greek Cypriot-administered licensing blocks lie within lawful zones. The European Union's Council has repeatedly expressed solidarity with both states on these questions.
• The United Nations has framed Cyprus settlement efforts around a bicommunal, bizonal federation in a long series of Security Council resolutions. The Secretary-General has held informal meetings in various formats, including Geneva (April 2021) and New York (October 2024).
• Armenia and the parliaments of a number of states describe the events of 1915 as genocide. Armenia and Türkiye have also been in direct normalisation talks since 14 January 2022.
• The United States, NATO and the EU list the PKK as a terrorist organisation, as does Türkiye. Some Western governments, however, have cooperated with the PYD/YPG (the SDF) in Syria, which Ankara strongly objects to.
• Russia and Ukraine both rely on the Montreux regime, which governs warship passage through the Turkish Straits. Türkiye has mediated between them.

Source Comparison

The same event can look different depending on whose record you read first. The table shows the pattern this site tracks.

We cite treaty texts, UN documents, archival material and official statements wherever possible, and we summarise opposing views in their holders' own terms before presenting Ankara's counter-argument. Our rules for sources, positions and corrections are set out in Editorial Principles.

Key Terms & Related Guides

• Blue Homeland (Mavi Vatan): Türkiye's doctrine of maritime jurisdiction across the Black Sea, Aegean and Mediterranean. See the Blue Homeland fact check.
• TRNC: the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, proclaimed on 15 November 1983 and recognised only by Türkiye.
• PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG: the PKK is designated a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the United States, NATO and the European Union; Ankara regards the PYD/YPG as its Syrian branch.
• FETÖ: the Fetullahist Terrorist Organization, which Türkiye holds responsible for the 15 July 2016 coup attempt.
• Good offices: a lighter form of third-party diplomacy than mediation; see Frontline Diplomacy's explainer.
• Zero Waste and COP31: Türkiye's climate diplomacy; see Region Scope.

For how the publication works, read About The Short Century: Mission, Method and Transparency and the Reader FAQ.

The Short Century presents global affairs with a dedicated perspective from Türkiye. Sections marked 'Türkiye's Position' reflect official Turkish policy as stated by Turkish government sources. Articles are published under the byline 'The Short Century Editorial Team'.