Akihito is just a figurehead, like the Queen of England.
Or the last Sultan....
Akihito is just a figurehead, like the Queen of England.
Akihito is just a figurehead, like the Queen of England.
And so too, in all likelihood, would the Ottoman Sultan be.
Wasn't the Sultan also Caliph? Wouldn't that make him more than a mere figurehead?
Wasn't the Sultan also Caliph? Wouldn't that make him more than a mere figurehead?
Indeed, most of the later Caliphs were puppets of "secular" Muslim rulers, IIRC.
All you really need is 1.) a common threat and 2.) not too horribly repugnant government and the oil will do the rest: an alliance is in the works. The enemy can be Russia (fascist or communist) or Germany (there's a good chance that in the Victorious Central Powers TL Germany and the Ottomans will eventually fall out, especially if the Germans pick up French north Africa and start treating their new subjects with their usual consideration and humanity): and given the example of OTL, as long as they don't eat babies in public and are willing to side with the US against the Enemy of The Day, they're OK in the US government's book.
Bruce
Well he DID declare Jihad on the allies in WWI--though of course many people were fairly skeptical since they were fighting as Christian allies at the time. Maybe it was done to retain more loyalty in the Arab provinces? Regardless it did not have much effect, even in India.The Queen of the UK is also the Defender of the Faith. I don't see why the Sultan's position as Caliph necessarily makes him less of a figurehead.
The Ottoman Empire would be like a much larger, oil-rich version of OTL Turkey, a member of a NATO-like military alliance designed to prevent the expansion of Soviet influence.
Y'know, Abdul Hadi Pasha (weirdly, I'm suddenly remembering your name from the old board), every once in a while you can sit back and let someone else handle these things. I was actually rather looking forward to it.
Plus it might help deal with the whole, "he persecuted me with facts," mentality some folks have if said facts came from a variety of sources.