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Macdermott's War Song is about theescalating events in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877
The document is a British songabout the escalating events in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877, which found Britain in an unconventional allegiance with the Ottoman Turkish Empire. The song is one ofnationalism, as is to be expected in wartime arts such as poetry and music.Though the song describes the Turks on neutral terms, it does not go so far asto fully demonize the Russians or paint the Ottoman Empire in a purely positivelight. What is most remarkable about the song, however, is that it portrays anIslamic empire on equal terms with a Christian nation.
Macdermott'sWar Song describes a military struggle that encompassed the collision of twovery different worlds. On the one side were the Ottoman Turks, an IslamicEmpire that stretched from North Africa through the Arabian peninsula andthrough the Balkan states. On the other were the Russians, who sought toliberate Bulgaria and other Slavic, Orthodox Christian nations from theclutches of Islamic dhimmitude. The real politic on the part of the Russianswas of course to establish a line of satellite states so as to get access tothe trade-rich Mediterranean, a course of action which did not easily fool Russia's Western European counterparts. Concerned also with the Turks' brutal suppressionof Slavic rebellions, European nations soundly denounced Ottoman militaryconduct, which also helped gain Russia several allies in its campaign againstthe Turks. Despite the familiar call to liberate Christianity from thedominance of imperial Islam, other states such as France and Great Britain werenot quick to heed the call to a unified European (or Christian) front, as traderelations warranted a departure from traditional conclusions ofMuslim-Christian relations. The Russo-Turkish War marked one of the only timesin European history that one Christian nation allied itself with a Muslimnation in order to stave off the growth and expansion of another Christiansovereignty. Longtime trading partners with the Ottomans, the British Empirewasted little time in establishing a protectorate role of the Ottoman state, aposition which obviously did not set well with London's one-time Russian ally.The war, however, did not escalate in the terms of the World War (WWI) as thealliances which were followed were largely extemporaneous, as was the actualmilitary campaign which resulted in Ottoman recognition of the liberty of theBalkan states.
Macdermott's war song depictsthe Russian Empire as the rugged Russian bear, strategically describing Moscow as bent on blood and robbery. Alluding to the Anglo-Russian war of 1807, the songlaments having to wage war but insists that a thrashing now and again was notenough to tame that brute whose aggression against Turkey was not out ofcompassion for the Balkans but a part of Moscow's same old game of plunderingand territorial gain. Cognizant of Britons' reluctance to side with MuslimTurks, Macdermott's War Song capitalizes on a sense of competition; fightingwith the Turks was not to defend the Ottoman possessions such as Constantinople, Bulgaria, or the Balkan states, but rather a means of stifling Russianimperial competition. The song assures the British people by insisting that Britain had the ships, the men, and the money to wage a successful war against Moscow.
The song cleverly divertsattention to Turkish atrocities by conceding that while misdeeds of the Turks[had] been spouted through all lands, the Russians were surely not innocent ofatrocities themselves. By pointing to historic massacres on Russiansovereignty, the British made morally defensible the Turkish position byshowing that while they were a foreign force, their brutality would be nodifferent than that of the Russians. In proving Russia's inability to showspotless hands, the song illustrated the fact that Turks were different, buttheir quarrel [was] just and they should therefore be thrice armed againstthe specter of Russian aggression.
The song is a reliable historicsource, as it shows how British culture had evolved from one of religiousaffiliation to nationalist interests. Simple actions such as contemplating andmaking an argument for the support of Turkey reflects a huge shift in Britishinternational policy; though the song is not specific in its historical contentregarding dates and events, it is historically indispensable as a measure ofBritish national interests. While the student of the history of Britain and the 19th century world would find the song useful, its substance isnot substantial enough to determine whether the song is a reflection of asingular frame of mind or if the song is indicative of a cohesive nationalconscience.
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