World War I became one of the most destructive and bloody conflicts in the history of mankind. The fighting took place on land, in the air, at sea and under water. For the first time, poisonous substances and airships, tanks in a classic layout, and fully automatic machine guns were massively used.
As a result of the post-war redivision of the world, the four largest empires ceased to exist: the Russian, Ottoman, German, and Austro-Hungarian. Turkey occupied vast expanses of western Eurasia and northern Africa, but by the start of hostilities in Europe had lost almost all of these territories.
Turkey on the verge of World War I
The empire, which united diverse traditions, has always sought to maintain equilibrium. But at the turn of the century, Turkey, which was experiencing a long crisis, was faced with new problems: the creation of a new world economic system and the development of a national idea. This completely undermined the balance of power.
On the outskirts of the empire, the separatist movement intensified significantly, industry was very weakened, the feudal system prevailed, which was long outdated, most of the inhabitants could not read and write. There were no railways in the country, and their construction was practically impossible, the communication lines were generally very poorly developed.
There were no means and weapons, there was not enough finance and human strength, the moral strength of the army weakened (they began to call on Christians who were not reliable components of the military machine). The country had a large external debt and was heavily dependent on imports of Austria-Hungary and Germany.
Atlanta War Declaration
Turkey during the First World War did not belong to those states that successfully developed under the new conditions prevailing in connection with the industrial revolution and the accumulation of capital, but (as already mentioned) depended heavily on the German and Austro-Hungarian empires. So, in August 1914, German cruisers entered the harbor of Istanbul for secret negotiations with the Turkish government.
The goals of Turkey in the First World War are clear. The lack of a raw material base and the loss of territory made the main aspiration of the country's top leadership the return of the Balkan Peninsula, the capture of the Crimea, Iran, and the Caucasus. In relation to the Russian Empire, the Ottoman thirsted for revenge for the defeat in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. Turkey entered the First World War on October 30 as part of the Central States bloc.
Cruisers "Terrible" and "Pony"
In November 1914, Ottoman troops were deployed in the area of the Straits, in Eastern Anatolia, Palestine and Mesopotamia. The Supreme Commander was appointed, but actually led the Minister of War Enver Pasha. The government of the country came out on the side of Germany, so that in many ways coordinated its actions with the headquarters of the German army.
The Ottoman army was equipped and prepared for hostilities by German instructors. German officers directly participated in the hostilities in the Turkish army. The composition of the fleet of the weakened power included German warships: the light cruiser Breslau and the battleship Geben.
Within a day after the ships entered the Dardanelles, they were renamed, the flags of the Ottoman Empire were raised over the cruisers. “Goeben” was called “Yavuz” in honor of one of the Ottoman sultans, which means “Terrible”, and “Beslau” was called “Midilly”, that is, “Pony”.
The appearance of ships in the waters of the Black Sea literally changed the balance of power. The Russian fleet had to reckon with the ships of the Ottoman Empire. "Midilly" and "Yavuz" made numerous raids on the bases of Sevastopol, Odessa, Feodosia and Novorossiysk. Turkey destroyed transport, acted on communications, but avoided a decisive battle with the Russian fleet.
Caucasian Front in World War I
Turkey in the First World War sought to expand its zone of influence in the Caucasus, but one of the most important fronts was also the most problematic. Successes turned into a devastating defeat of the Ottoman army near Sarykamysh. During the offensive, the troops suffered heavy losses, which contributed to severe frosts. The Russian army managed to push back the enemy and go on the counterattack.
Dardanelles operation
The joint actions of the fleet of Great Britain and France were aimed at removing the Ottoman Empire from the war, taking control of Constantinople, the Dardanelles and the Bosporus, restoring communication with the Russian Empire through the Black Sea. Turkey in the First World War stubbornly resisted and successfully repelled the attacks. The Allies increased their strength, but in the end they were still forced to capitulate.
Hope for Lightning Fast
In the summer of 1917, a group was formed that controlled Palestine, Iraq and Syria. The name was chosen by the name of Sultan Bayazid I, who went down in history under the nickname "Lightning Fast." Bayazid I, who ruled at the end of the fourteenth century, was really famous for swift raids, but was eventually defeated by Tamerlane's troops, ended his life in captivity, and the empire was then practically destroyed.
The last battle the specified group of armies took on the Syrian front. Ottoman forces were opposed by the British and Arab armies. The Ottoman army, which was much inferior in strength, was forced to retreat, and the allies occupied Tripoli, Damascus, Akku and Aleppo. The last eight days, the army group was led by Mustafa Kemal Pasha, before which the German general Lyman von Sanders commanded.
Surrender of Turkey: Chronicle
Turkey’s participation in World War I turned into a disaster. The Ottoman army suffered a complete and unconditional defeat on all fronts. A truce was signed on October 30, 1918 in the Mudros Bay. In fact, it was the surrender of Turkey in the First World War.
Within a month after the signing of the document in Istanbul, British, French, Greek and Italian ships anchored, and the English forts occupied the forts in the straits. The English soldiers were the first to enter the streets of the capital, then the French and Italian armies joined them. The capital was surrendered to the winners. Thus ended the participation of Turkey in the First World War.
The collapse of the Ottoman Empire: results
As early as the nineteenth century, the Ottoman Empire was called the "sick man of Europe." Turkey was virtually invincible by 1680, but after a major defeat at Vienna in 1683, it lost its position. Gradually, the country's successes came to naught. The collapse of the empire is a long process. The First World War finally shaped the lengthy process of the collapse of Turkey, which actually began at the end of the seventeenth century.
Turkey after World War I actually ceased to exist. The Ottoman Empire lost its independence and was divided into interests of the victorious states. Control remained only over a small European territory near Istanbul and Asia Minor (except Cilicia). Palestine, Arabia, Armenia, Syria, Mesopotamia were separated from the Ottoman Empire.