Challenge: US and Islam cold war

[MerryPrankster]

Originally Posted by George Carty

I'm just thinking - I don't think the Russians would allow a strong Islamic power to control Kazakhstan under any circumstances - too much of a threat to the Trans-Siberian Railway...

Russia is too weak to do diddly-squat when the Ottomans take Kazakhstan.

Now, I will concede that Russia will likely want that territory back, especially if Russian settlers there get mistreated.

[George Carty]

Originally Posted by Abdul Hadi Pasha

He was actually appointed "Mufti of Jerusalem" by a British official, who was ironically Jewish.

Unbelievable! Got a cite for that?

[Wozza]

Russia is too weak to do diddly-squat when the Ottomans take Kazakhstan.

Now, I will concede that Russia will likely want that territory back, especially if Russian settlers there get mistreated.

Quite why the power that could not get Thessalonika back from the Greeks could get Tashkent from a nation ten times larger ten years later is bewildering for those of us who depend upon rational argument.

[Chengar Qordath]

Originally Posted by Wozza

Quite why the power that could not get Thessalonika back from the Greeks could get Tashkent from a nation ten times larger ten years later is bewildering for those of us who depend upon rational argument.

Well, there is the Russian Civil War going on at the time, plus the fact that the population of the 'stans will probably welcome the Ottomans as liberators. I suppose once the Russian Civil War was over there might be an issue with a potential Russian/Soviet (depending on who wins obviously) counterattack to regain the region, but I'd imagine that the Ottomans could easily overrun a region with a fairly friendly populace, very distant from any of the Civil War faction's logistical basis, in the middle of that country having a bitter civil war right after being crushed in three years of WWI. Whoever would win the Civil War might just be too exhausted to try and regain the 'stans, especially since as I recall they did not have any really vital resources anyway. Still, I'd imagine whoever's in charge of Russia would be very hostile to the Ottomans...

[Wozza]

If the population of Central Asia was particularly keen on the Ottomans they would have shown them muh more support in OTL WW1.
The question does arise of how the Ottomans actually get to Central Asia, they do not share a border, even if they do overrun north Iran it is quite a logistical feat for them - less so for the Russians, who have a railway from their bases.

Finally there are the side effects of no Ottoman entry into WW1 and how this might have strengthened the Entente.
(I admit that given the shear unpredictability of Italian policy it might strengthen the Central powers!)