"World War I was not inevitable, as many historians say. It could have been avoided, and it was a diplomatically botched negotiation. " -Richard Holbrooke
mILITARISM
Russia caused much conflict in the Ottoman Empire and possibly allowed the war to balloon while supporting Serbia. “It had long been an ambition of the Russian Tsars to win back Constantinople for Christianity.” (Darby 3). To this end, Russia invaded the Ottoman Empire several times. The Ottomans believed that their land was taken away, and the Ottoman Empire wanted it back. Refusing to side with the power that had hurt it the most, the Ottoman Empire aligned with the Central Powers in order to win back what was formerly Ottoman land. It was the only way to win land, since the military of the Ottoman Empire was small and backwards, and the military of Germany was large and well-equipped. It could not have defeated any European power without help because it had a woeful military.
The Italians were also a major source of strife in the Ottoman Empire. Italy invaded Tripolitania in 1912, causing the ill-equipped Ottoman military major problems. The Ottoman Empire lost Tripolitania to the Italians. During the Tripolitanian War, the Balkan states planned to fight for their freedom (likely due to nationalism) (Trumpener 340). The Kingdom of Montenegro declared war and, ten days later, so did the Bulgarians, Serbians, and Greeks in the First Balkan War. The Ottomans were defeated and lost more land. This again proves that the Ottoman military did not have the might to defeat a major power on its own.
The Italians were also a major source of strife in the Ottoman Empire. Italy invaded Tripolitania in 1912, causing the ill-equipped Ottoman military major problems. The Ottoman Empire lost Tripolitania to the Italians. During the Tripolitanian War, the Balkan states planned to fight for their freedom (likely due to nationalism) (Trumpener 340). The Kingdom of Montenegro declared war and, ten days later, so did the Bulgarians, Serbians, and Greeks in the First Balkan War. The Ottomans were defeated and lost more land. This again proves that the Ottoman military did not have the might to defeat a major power on its own.
Politics
In 1908, the Young Turks revolted and set up a new democratic monarchy in the Ottoman Empire that was aimed at reform. This government was dictated by the CUP, the political party that had the majority in the elected body. Influential people such as Enver Bay and a majority of the CUP were in favor of joining the war. The new government had added extreme elements of the CUP to the government. These people supported entering the war and made policy decisions that were oriented towards a war.
aLLIANCE SYSTEM
From the beginning of strife between the great European nations, the Ottoman Empire was pressed to pick a side. It needed an ally in the case of a war, and other powers were pushing it to pick its alliance. Both the Central Powers and the Allies needed the Ottoman Empire on their side due to its ownership over the Dardanelles Strait, a body of water connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. This was a trade route for Russia. The Allies wanted it so that they could send aid/support to Russia, while the Central Powers wanted it so that they could block aid/support to Russia. The Ottoman Empire therefore had a choice: Would it side with its enemies Russia and Italy, or the powerful Germany? The Ottomans chose to be on the side of the Central Powers, but in the end it was dragged into World War I without a choice. The Ottoman Empire ended up conducting the following campaigns under the guidance of Enver Pasha, an avid supporter of Germany; in the border with Russia, in the Caucasus Mountains, near the Persian Gulf, and finally in Gallipoli, a central city near the Dardanelles Strait.
Economic issues
Debt was a huge problem for the Ottoman Empire. It was trying to modernize at the same time many imperial European countries, such as Britain and France, were colonizing the rest of the world. “Political concessions to Europeans living and trading in Ottoman territory—the Capitulations—laid the groundwork for foreign infiltration of the economic and political system.” (Davis 174). The Ottoman Empire needed money to modernize, and had to get bonds from the British, French, and German bondholders. Through the late 1800s and early 1900s, the bondholders accrued more and more interest on the increasing number of bonds issued to the Ottoman Empire. In order to pay back the huge amount of debt, the Ottoman Empire set up the Public Debt Administration. Although in name it was a part of the government of the Ottoman Empire, it was really only responsible to the British and French bondholders. At this time, the government of the Ottoman Empire started to lose control over parts of its economy to the British and French. Because of both of these developments, the Ottoman government lost legitimacy because Ottoman citizens had to pay much of their duty taxes directly to imperial countries. The Public Debt Administration also helped the British and French build infrastructure to exploit the Ottoman economy. By 1914, the Ottoman Empire owed approximately 30% of its tax revenues per year to foreigners. This rendered it incapable to pay for many military upgrades, or to start a war against the imperial powers which had come to possess the land and money formerly of the Ottoman Empire.
The First Balkan war (1912)
The First Balkan War was extremely destabilizing for the Ottoman Empire. Countries like Serbia, Greece, and Bulgaria took land away from the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans lost a large amount of territory at the peace conference in England. As the Balkans were the economic center, the loss of the Balkans was a major blow to the Ottoman Empire. It was there that the industry was. The Serbians, newly equipped with the modernized technology, angered Austria-Hungary, and started the war. The Ottoman Empire wanted its lands back that were taken from them. Therefore, it had to join the Central Powers, as Serbia allied with the Triple Entente.
Conclusions
- The Ottoman Empire did not have the military capability to start a war. It picked a side due to its fear of not having an ally and due to the pressure to pick a side in WW1.
- The economy and tax revenue of the Ottoman Empire was held hostage by foreign powers.
- The Ottoman Empire lost lots of land both in the Balkans and the Caucasus, demonstrating its deplorable military situation.