Une Confédération Orientale comme solution de la Question d'Orient (1905)

At the turn of the twentieth century the European balance of power was rattled by the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the restless nationalist fervor across the Balkans. The author opens with a stark reminder that the long‑standing “Eastern Question” has already sparked two continental wars and now threatens a third, especially as the Russo‑Japanese conflict diverts attention eastward. He warns that piecemeal reforms and secret treaties have only postponed an inevitable crisis.

Against this backdrop he sketches a bold, if tentative, plan: a confederation of the Christian peoples of the region, bound by mutually guaranteed autonomy and shared economic development. The proposal rejects the traditional partition‑by‑great‑powers model, arguing that only a cooperative political framework can curb expansionist ambitions and give the Ottoman successor states a stable future. His tone is pragmatic, acknowledging the difficulty of implementation but insisting that the idea itself could seed a lasting peace.