WI: Spanish-Ottoman War Of 1897.

RandomFloridian

Banned
During the mid late 19th century Europe was the Continent that seemed to hold the most powerful nations of the world,

The U.K, Germany and Russia are just a few examples of the powerful nations of Europe.

However not all nations of Europe would maintain the great power they held for centuries,

For example the Spanish Empire and Ottoman empires by the time of the 1890's were mostly seen as shells of the former empires that they once were.

And that got me thinking,

What if the declining powers of Spanish and Ottoman Empire went to war against each other.

For the sake of this scenario lets say that a relatively small issue between the Spanish and the Ottomans snowballs out of control, and reaches a point where diplomacy has failed and war is imminent between the Spanish and Ottomans in 1897.

Assuming no other Nations directly interfered, what would be the result of this conflict?
 
fluttersky

fluttersky

I’m guessing this would be thanks to the Hemshin massacres- and my answer is that I don’t think it’s realistic to expect other parties to stay out of it.
 

RandomFloridian

Banned
fluttersky said:
I’m guessing this would be thanks to the Hemshin massacres- and my answer is that I don’t think it’s realistic to expect other parties to stay out of it.
Click to expand...
I have to look up what the Hemshin massacres are, however I was thinking a possible scenario could be that could explain a Spanish Ottoman war in 1897 would be Ottoman support for Moro rebels in the Spanish Philippines.
 
fluttersky

fluttersky

RandomFloridian said:
I have to look up what the Hemshin massacres are, however I was thinking a possible scenario could be that could explain a Spanish Ottoman war in 1897 would be Ottoman support for Moro rebels in the Spanish Philippines.
Click to expand...
My apologies, I meant the Hamidian massacres.

The Moro situation could also be a cause, but less likely- I can't imagine the Ottomans trying to venture as far afield as that.
 

Dan Handsome

Whoever has the better navy wins more than the other nation, although the Spanish couldn't project power on Ottoman soil and vice versa. Who had a larger navy at this point?
 
Sarthak

Sarthak

The Ottoman Navy in 1897 consisted of:-
6 Cruisers (5 were modern), 4 Battleships (3 were modern), 25 Torpedo Boats (21 were modern), 2 Submarines (were modern but maintained badly), and 10 destroyers (7 were modern) around 23 other steamships (9 were modern)

More or less equal to strength to the Spanish Navy qualitatively and quantitatively but quality of the sailors are in favour of the Spanish.
 

RandomFloridian

Banned
Dan Handsome said:
Whoever has the better navy wins more than the other nation, although the Spanish couldn't project power on Ottoman soil and vice versa. Who had a larger navy at this point?
Click to expand...
The Spanish could try to attack Ottoman Tripolitania (Libya) which was cut off from the main Ottoman Empire by 1897.

(Technically the Ottomans had de jure control of Egypt in 1897 however the British held the real power there since 1882 and would not let Ottoman troops pass to go to Tripolitania in the Italo-Ottoman war.)
 
Last edited:
Gokbay

Gokbay

RandomFloridian said:
(Technically the Ottomans had de facto control of Egypt in 1897 however the British held the real power there since 1882 and would not let Ottoman troops pass to go to Tripolitania in the Italo-Ottoman war.)
Click to expand...

I think you mean de Jure.

De Facto means "in fact", while de jure is "technically/by law".

Ottomans were de jure in control but the British had the de facto power.
 

Dan Handsome

RandomFloridian said:
The Spanish could try to attack Ottoman Tripolitania (Libya) which was cut off from the main Ottoman Empire by 1897.

(Technically the Ottomans had de jure control of Egypt in 1897 however the British held the real power there since 1882 and would not let Ottoman troops pass to go to Tripolitania in the Italo-Ottoman war.)
Click to expand...
I don't think the Spanish could handle that. Look how much trouble Italy had in Libya and that's with the Ottoman's having no way to reinforce by land or sea and Italy being much closer in proximity. The difference in naval power between Italy and the OE was huge. If Spain loses her navy, then she can't do anything in Libya.

They're too far from each other and both too weak to project power outside of their own territory.
 

RandomFloridian

Banned
Dan Handsome said:
I don't think the Spanish could handle that. Look how much trouble Italy had in Libya and that's with the Ottoman's having no way to reinforce by land or sea and Italy being much closer in proximity. The difference in naval power between Italy and the OE was huge. If Spain loses her navy, then she can't do anything in Libya.

They're too far from each other and both too weak to project power outside of their own territory.
Click to expand...
So I guess the war would have very limited land battles, with the main focus being naval battles in the mediterranean.
 

RandomFloridian

Banned
kasumigenx said:
The British and Ottomans could ally here.
Click to expand...
Not trying to be rude but I can't really see why would the British want to ally with the Ottomans,

I can possibly see them allying with the Ottomans to weaken Spain so that they cannot take Gibraltar, however that risks starting an even larger European war and the British wouldn't want to be the cause of a major European war.
 
kasumigenx

kasumigenx

RandomFloridian said:
Not trying to be rude but I can't really see why would the British want to ally with the Ottomans,

I can possibly see them allying with the Ottomans to weaken Spain so that they cannot take Gibraltar, however that risks starting an even larger European war and the British wouldn't want to be the cause of a major European war.
Click to expand...
Yes, they would at least covertly help the ottomans.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Top