How did the Ottoman Empire process the psychological and societal trauma of the Balkan Wars, and how did this defeat reshape the collective identity of its citizens? Eyal Ginio, a historian specializing in the Ottoman Empire, examines the period following the 1912-1913 Balkan Wars to understand the transition from imperial confidence to the existential crisis of a collapsing state. By analyzing contemporary newspapers, memoirs, and official state communications, Ginio constructs a framework that highlights the internal struggle to reconcile military failure with the preservation of national dignity. The work argues that the 'culture of defeat' served as a critical precursor to the radical political shifts that defined the final years of the Ottoman state.

Historians recognize this work as a significant contribution to the study of Ottoman social and cultural history during the empire's final decade. Scholars frequently note the author's ability to synthesize complex archival materials into a coherent narrative regarding the psychological impact of imperial decline.