ABSTRACT
The attempted counter-revolution of March 1909 initially encouraged some rather far-fetched guesswork in the Foreign Office. 1 By the third week in April, the fear that the Constitutional regime had been terminated also elicited public expressions of concern from both Asquith and Grey. 2 Even more worrying, however, was the sharp reaction of the CUP. As early as 20 April, Hardinge could foresee the deposition of the Sultan with the final triumph of the CUP, and he did not conceal his antipathy towards the Young Turks:
It is, I think, unfortunate that the Committee should have had this opportunity of showing how predominant is their position. They badly wanted a knock, and I thought at one moment that they had got it. I expect that they will now be even more arbitrary in their actions than they were before. 3
