In this talk, I will discuss my work in progress, a micro-history of Arab-Ottoman imperialists who were deeply invested in the success of the empire, with a vision of a future that favored their survival as non-Turkish imperial citizens. Following the personal and professional trials and tribulations of one military diplomat who represented the sultan in negotiations with regional powers in Africa, and one palace advisor-turned-parliamentarian, I am able to provide a micro-historical narrative of their lived experience as the world changed around these two Arab-Ottomans, ultimately forcing them and their family members to make difficult decisions about their loyalties, national belonging, and identification. Based on interviews with descendants of these families, collected a large number of archival records, newspaper articles, travelogues, personal letters, diaries, and photos that have never been used before. I am now able to provide an intimate history of the life-world of the men and women of these families living between Istanbul and Damascus over several generations, from the time of the absolutist rule of Abdülhamid II (1876-1908), through the second constitutional period (1908-1914), World War One, and finally the breaking up of the Ottoman Empire.