Some IOTL background :
Whoever used whom, the germans via Suchon the ottomans or the ottomans, notably Enver Pasha Suchon to finally start hostilities and draw the OE into 'action' :
But ... what ... if ... Goeben and Breslau wouldn't have made it to Constantinople ?
Let's assume, ... Kaiser Bill does NOT fold at night of 1st to 2nd August and stays with his decision of the former days discussions :
- return home
- proceed to East-Asia reinforcing Spee against Wladiwostock - disturb russian traffic from the USA
- simply reinforce the reconnaissance forces of the HSF, as its will be know "redirected - at least in parts - to the Baltics
- doesn't matter for the matter in question
So ... how and when will Enver now manage to draw the Ottoman Empire into actuall war and active fighting ?
Eager to read your ideas about
- since the negotiation at the Porte are somewhat ... ponderous, on 1st August the german ambassador requested the show-up of the german mediterranian didivion (Goeben and Breslau) at Constantinople for a ... show-up
- unbeknown to Wangenheim the Pashas decided upon signing the german-ottoman alliance at late night of 1st August with Enver tipping the balance by informing them about the battleships seizure of on the same day, the treaty finally signed at about 16:00 on 2nd August
- on 2nd August Kaiser Bill and Hugo v.Pohl decided, that Suchon and his ships "had buisness elsewhere". Orders to Suchon were to either attack/hamper french troop-transport from Algeria or break into the Atlantic. Suchon made plans for the former
- on 3rd August Suchon received info about the DoW against France and set for Bone and Phliippville
- on 4th August early, while on route he received orders from Tirpitz as well as from Hugo v.Pohl - against the wishes and without knowledge of Kaiser Bill - to proceed to Constantinople
Whoever used whom, the germans via Suchon the ottomans or the ottomans, notably Enver Pasha Suchon to finally start hostilities and draw the OE into 'action' :
Goeben and the Breslau were instrumental to it IOTL
But ... what ... if ... Goeben and Breslau wouldn't have made it to Constantinople ?
Let's assume, ... Kaiser Bill does NOT fold at night of 1st to 2nd August and stays with his decision of the former days discussions :
- no invasion of Belgium
- retreat from Luxemburg
- no attack-first on France
- "send all troops east" ... as far as possible by logistics.
Part of his decision making on 2nd August - being informed about Wangenheims request - might then be a rather fresh and clear order for Suchon to break into the Atlantic and - retreat from Luxemburg
- no attack-first on France
- "send all troops east" ... as far as possible by logistics.
- return home
- proceed to East-Asia reinforcing Spee against Wladiwostock - disturb russian traffic from the USA
- simply reinforce the reconnaissance forces of the HSF, as its will be know "redirected - at least in parts - to the Baltics
- doesn't matter for the matter in question
So ... how and when will Enver now manage to draw the Ottoman Empire into actuall war and active fighting ?
Eager to read your ideas about