Bloomsbury Arming the State: Military Conscription History

Explore a deep historical analysis of military recruitment in the Middle East and Central Asia from 1775 to 1925. Arming the State examines how universal conscription was applied to agrarian and undeveloped societies during the 19th and 20th centuries. This work moves beyond standard military history by including perspectives from social and political historians to explain the impact of these policies. Readers will learn about the intense local resistance and economic disruption caused by these recruitment methods. The book provides specific studies on Ottoman Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and the Balkans. It also covers Egypt, a region where some of the most extreme forms of conscription occurred. This text is an essential resource for students and historians looking to understand the social consequences of state-mandated military service in these specific geographic regions.