Frank Tachau

Frank Tachau, one of the leading scholars of Middle Eastern politics, died on July 23, 2010, at the age of 80 in Sykesville, Maryland, after battling with multiple myeloma for two years. Born in Braunschweig, Germany, Professor Tachau moved with his family to Chicago at the age of seven in 1936. He studied at the University of Chicago, earning a bachelor's and a master's degree in political science. His MA thesis on the diplomacy of the Turkish Straits between 1936 and 1946 led to his remarkable Ph.D. dissertation, which offered one of the first scholarly accounts of Turkish nationalism in 1958. What distinguished Professor Tachau's analyses from others studying the Middle East was his extensive ethnographic work in the region. His unique language skills allowed him to learn modern Turkish very quickly in 1956 and opened the door for him to master historical Ottoman Turkish as well. During his multiple visits to the region, Professor Tachau studied the history of the Ottoman Empire and also noted the emerging institutions of the new Turkish republic. His extensive stays in the region equipped him with unique insights into the views of the country's political elite and the mechanisms of its fledgling democracy

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