Myth of the Unionist triumvirate

There is little doubt that the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) was the single most influential political organization of the Second Constitutional Period (1908–23). As the party played a leading role in the significant events of that period, scholars have generally viewed it as a united political organization that tackled reform within the Ottoman Empire. This view underestimates factional struggles within the organization. A closer look at the writings of contemporary political leaders and the extant archival record, however, shows how the party’s multi-leadership structure created conflicts and divisions that shaped government policies.