ABSTRACT
In 1911, the Ottoman Empire was beset by international crises. The Italian invasion of Libya, rebellions in Albania and Yemen, and the rise of a new opposition party all weakened the political position of the CUP. Ottoman relations with Britain and Germany were significantly impacted by the decision of the Young Turk government to upgrade its navy and start a shipbuilding program. The Italian declaration of war on September 29th shook the Ottoman public and the government. The Russian government, while admiring Ottoman success in restraining Kurdish brigands, also saw that CUP policies were alienating many Kurds. The meeting decided to send Arshag Vramian and Haroutiun Shahrigian to Salonika to present the lands, security, and educational problems faced by the Armenians to the CUP and to demand satisfaction. The Armenians had no true recourse to the judicial system for any of the indignities or persecutions they suffered.
