Lewis frames Ottoman and Soviet decline as parallel paths needing a Kemalist savior

Evidence

In comparing the fate of the Ottomans with present-day conditions, attention has focused mainly on the political and ideological elements—the explosive forces of nationalism and liberalism, the bankruptcy of old ideologies, the col­ lapse of old political structures. In all these, the Russians have indeed been following the path once trodden by the Turks, and if they are fortunate, they will find a Kemal Atatu¨rk to open a new chapter in their national history. — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 1742

Categorization

• SEED: The Soviet parallel plus ‘if they are fortunate’ makes visible how the Orientalist teleology prescribes a strongman rebirth — an angle on how the West’s analytic vocabulary predetermines acceptable post-collapse trajectories.