Calling All Ottoman Experts!

Another ascept that could be exploited by the US would be the Mamluk's ongoing rebellion in Egypt. In 1805 there was a rebellion in Cairo that could have gove very favorably for the Mamluk's over Mohammed Ali.

The only problem with them is they are feudal lordsa dn highly contradicatory to what the US stands for.
 
Oman at the time was independent under Sultan ibn Ahmad Al Said and owned some African colonies and profited from the slave trade. All of this collapsed when the British decalred the trade illegal

Yemen had isolated areas under OE control at the time with much of the country under control of the Zaidi's. The Zaidi imamate collapsed and the OE moved in in the 1830's, controling San'a by the 1870's. Also in 1832 the British took Aden.

Here is a real interesting look at interior Arabia. To summarize the House of Saud and Wahhabists expanded greatly from 1744 to the point where they controled Mecca and Medina as of 1802. The Ottoman-Saudi War began in 1811 (presumably when Europe, or at least the Middle East, calmed down after Napoleon) and resulted in the recapture of the Hejaz and Nejd after some bumps. The Wahhabists and Sauds were treated brutally and their movement failed to die completley. A second Saud state and then the 3rd, saudi Arabia came about after this..

So it appears, Oman, Yemen, and al-Saud are all independent of the OE at the time. All would make good allies for the US as well...especially al-Saud in the twist of the centruy.

Ah yes it was the Saudi state and the others.

I remember all of this because last weekend I visited, had lunch, and took part of a 20minute historical video and a small fashion show-At The Saudi Arabia Embassy in DC.
 
Big Tex.

Just a suggestion but I wonder how much of an aid the death of the current Ottoman Sultan would be for your scenario to be become much more realistic.
 
Big Tex.

Just a suggestion but I wonder how much of an aid the death of the current Ottoman Sultan would be for your scenario to be become much more realistic.

Hmmm, perhaps the US-OE war is brief but after some disastrous defeats to the Ottomans and only minor successes in instigating internal rebellion (Arab revolts, suporting Al-Saud, supporting the Mamluks) the Order of Freedom turns tosome more drastic measures like "convincing Russia to attack" (despite it not happening ITL) and possibly outright assasinating the Sultan. The ensuing internal debacle gives the US adequate time to find a good peace, focus on the internal issues of the new territories, and keeps the OE alive (more or less) for future confrontations down the road. The war would be fairly short also (1805 to 1807 I would say) and give the US a good chunk of recovery time for the War of 1812. US "possesions" in North Africa and perhaps some passive aid to Napoleon would make a British-American war more likely.

I like this scenario, does it seem realistic?
 
Hmmm, perhaps the US-OE war is brief but after some disastrous defeats to the Ottomans and only minor successes in instigating internal rebellion (Arab revolts, suporting Al-Saud, supporting the Mamluks) the Order of Freedom turns tosome more drastic measures like "convincing Russia to attack" (despite it not happening ITL) and possibly outright assasinating the Sultan. The ensuing internal debacle gives the US adequate time to find a good peace, focus on the internal issues of the new territories, and keeps the OE alive (more or less) for future confrontations down the road. The war would be fairly short also (1805 to 1807 I would say) and give the US a good chunk of recovery time for the War of 1812. US "possesions" in North Africa and perhaps some passive aid to Napoleon would make a British-American war more likely.

I like this scenario, does it seem realistic?
It looks good to me, Tex.
 
Ok, i'm posting this here as well since it is developed a lot from ideas I gained in this thread. Also I want to see what our Ottoman Experts think while I can still edit the canon thread...

Black type is the update while red type is explanations

Part 17: The Ottoman-American War
North Africa

1806-1807

The Sublime Porte was furious to say the least. It was one thing for a foreign nation to blockade or attack pirates and their nests, if anything it was a cheap form of law enforcement in an area of the empire that was exceedingly difficult for the House of Osman to control from Constantinople. But for an upstart nation of rebels to come in from across the world and impose their political will on the Pashas and Beys; who did this United States think it was?!

[Why the OE declares war]

So despite the growing complex situation of Europe as well as internal problems, Sultan Selim III declared war on the United States on January 11, 1806.

Spreading the word of war was slow and messy. The Sultan had declared war when the navy and marines where knee deep in Moroccan politics [Sultan's declaration comes right in the middle of US Moroccan campign]. If it wasn’t for Brigg’s teleporter Washington would have learned of the war sometime in April at the earliest. Even then, monarchist/Ottoman/and Islamic uprisings occurred throughout North Africa. In Tripolitania Hamet Karamanli put down a rebellion in Tripoli against him but was unable to quell resistance at the nearby town of Tarjura or distant Cyrenaica. The Bey of Tunis was deposed for his pro-American stance and replaced with a hard-line Bey soon to be confirmed by the Sultan. Algeria, whose Bey had been deposed and replaced with a democratic system had plunged into civil war almost on a 50-50 split. Morocco’s civil war was winding down but as word of Islamic uprisings and an anti-American Jihad spread, it seemed that country might boil over again into its third civil war in little more than ten years.

[The US' involvement in the region to the degree they have is unprecedented and hasn't occured since Byzantine times. The US, even with rings would not be able to waltz in and take over as easily as they did in the original writing. Thats why I instigated these civil wars, largely successful in the name of the OE and Islam, at least at first;)]

Tactically, the US was in little position to compete with the Ottomans. Despite their status as “The Sick Man of Europe”, the Ottomans where still a formidable foe. Their navy counted nearly 22 ships of the line (many of which where second and third rates as well as one first rate) and numerous frigates and sloops. By contrast the US had a fleet of 35 ships, total. Most were high quality frigates that actually counted as fourth rate ships of the line. Regardless the US could count only two proper ships of the line, the 55 gun third rate USS Quebec and the 78 gun second rate USS Freedom. In terms of land forces the Ottomans held all the cards over the smaller and overstretched marines.

[If the OE had gone to war with the US over the Barbary War, the US would have been smashed. Their navy is bigger, wheras the US had six frigates that barely constituted 4th rate ships of the line. Their army is larger and this is their home field. I wanted to empahsize that. Also You will note that 55 gun Quebec and 78 gun Freedom. Because of the Order's knowlege that the US will be involved overseas and the US possesion of the Caribbean, there will be a more willingness in Congress to have larger ships. Even then, feet dragging prevents anything larger than the 78 gun Freedom, which in itself is probably 20 guns more than anything the US would commission regardless...]

Immediately, Congress passed the Naval Act of 1806 which called for the construction of 15 new navy ships, including two first rate ships of the line. The Army Act of 1806 also raised a proper army which could reinforce the outgunned and outmanned marines [Three wars with major powers in 3 decades will get that feet dragging dealt with. Even then these forces will largely not be ready in time..they are for later;)]. These forces would take time to come into their own though, so for the time Briggs and his North African forces had to make due. Briggs, always the inventive thinker, had a plan to make this war a little fairer for the US.

Briggs’ plan called for exploiting the weaknesses that made the Ottoman Empire so fragile. By supporting Arab rebel groups he could severely hinder Ottoman supply lines and create large problems closer to home. The House of Saud in the Arabia Peninsula was a huge problem for the Ottomans and had recently captured Mecca and Medina much to the ire of Constantinople; they could prove to be valuable allies despite their adherence to Wahhabism which was less than democratic and free to say the least. In addition Briggs believed he could play the increasingly irked Janissaries and Mamluks against the Turks. Finally there was always the Russian card that could be played.

[Using the OE's internal issues and historical rivals is really the only way the US has a chance, regardless of the tech.]

The hardest part of American strategy was their limited resources. The marines and sailors at hand numbered only a few thousand and ships could not be spared. Already the loss of the Philadelphia was proving to be quite problematic. Offensives were almost out of the question.

The opening action of the war came off the island of Malta where the British garrison watched in amusement as the Ottoman ships of the line Mehmed IV and Osman II sank the USS John Adams after not that much of a fight.

A regiment of Ottoman soldiers and Janissaries landed at Derne in early March, reinforcing the anti-Karamanli stronghold. After a brutal surprise overland march they took Tripoli itself on April 15. Hamet and much of his forces were forced to fight all the way to the harbor and board US ships that could only watch and fire the occasional shot. With Tunis is enemy hands they were forced to retreat all the way back to pro-US stronghold of Annaba in the Regency of Algiers. Algiers itself was far to dangerous due to the civil war that would make US marines and ships (already invaluable) prime targets.

[The US indeed does get smashed...at first:p]

With the US and her allies reeling after only two and half months of fighting, Briggs needed something major to happen and turn the tide for the US. In a bold move, he teleported into the Pasha’s palace, Assaraya al-Hamra (Red Castle), and maneuvered his way until he found the Çorbaci of the Janissaries, a man named Nicolai Croia, and confronted him in private.

Despite Briggs best efforts and use of the ring, Croia was loyal to the Sultan. Despite the grumblings amongst the Janissaries against the reformer Selim III, Croia was a soldier through and through and was not corrupted by the immense position of power his rank in the Janissaries could allow him. He believed a successful showing by the Janissaries in North Africa might be able to inspire unity in the Empire and convince the Sultan that the Janissaries still had their uses. When Croia turned to call for guards to seize the American commodore, Briggs had to vanish in a flash.

[Not everything goes the Americans way in the rewrite]

Briggs needed something to happen, with the Janissaries in Tripolitania loyal to Selim III, he aimed for Egypt where the Mamluks where none to thrilled about the sudden rise of the newly appointed Vali Muhammad Ali who had forced his way into the power vacuum in Cairo after the French had fled from their ill fated expedition. This time, the Mamluks where quite receptive to the Americans. Briggs had little he could offer the Mamluks in terms of soldiers or direct alliance but he did have his teleporter and replicator handy. After a quick meeting with Jefferson in Washington he and the Mamluks agreed to a large donation of gold bullion to their cause as well as American made military supplies. It took all night with the replicator and teleporter but Briggs, Harper, Madison, and Marshall managed to stockpile nearly $400,000 in gold as well as crates of American rifles, ammunition, and several cannons. The Mamluks asked no questions and prepared their rebellion while Briggs returned, exhausted, to Annaba.

[I like this part because it highlights an area where the Order can truly be active. One of the few times we really see them in action.]

Over the next few days Briggs set up similar arrangements with the House of Saud and Greek rebels. Scattered rebellions with little chance of real success could not result in a favorable outcome for the US, Briggs needed direct victories and he needed them soon. Morocco was simmering with rebellion against Hicham I. In fact the only thing that had stopped the rebellion from occurring was Hicham’s economic reforms and unwillingness to come to the marines aid in North Africa (something thankfully the marines and Briggs understood and had little effect on US-Moroccan relations). Tunis was an Ottoman stronghold as was most of Libya. The only thing keeping Algeria from falling was the US base at Annaba and democratic stronghold of Constantine. On the water, the frigates Franklin [ATL ship] and Essex as well as the sloop Hornet had all been sunk our captured. The only US victories in the Mediterranean were frigate USS Waterhawk [ATL Ship, an a really cool name that if I ever own a boat will be called this:p] sinking the Ottoman 4th rate Mustafa III and the fourth rate ship of the line USS Quebec capturing the second rate Prutwhich was renamed USS High Flyer due to its speed.

In late May, Briggs got his chance for a much needed victory. [cliffhanger]
 
The thread seems dead but for the record here is how I completed the Ottoman-American War. If anyone has any takes or suggestions I'm all ears, I get a few more days before the edit feature goes away in the consol. thread and it becomes canon...

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Also here is the last update, I never got around to posting it

Part 18: The Ottoman-American War II: Judgment Day
North Africa

1806-1807

In late May a fleet of Ottoman ships converged on Annaba, looking to finish off the Americans once and for all. At the decisive Battle of Annaba the USS Constellation (38 guns), Constitution (44 guns), Freedom (78 guns), Quebec (55 guns), Independence (44 guns), President (44 guns), Argus (16), Boston (28 guns), and Eagle (12) engaged the Ahmed III (70 guns), Azov (56 guns), Caliph (52 guns), Mehmed IV (28 guns), Suleiman the Magnificent (92 guns), Murad IV (48 guns), Keresztes (36 guns), Hejaz (28 guns), Anatolia (18 guns), Selim II (38 guns), and Marj Dabiq (22 guns).

The battle was indeed lopsided at the beginning as the Ottomans caught the US forces by surprise and had them outgunned 488 to 359. The Argus was sunk immediately when her powder magazine exploded and the President was crippled when a shot from the Azov took down her main mast. Thankfully, for US forces, the fortress of Annaba was able to provide some support from its 30 guns, though the Ottoman fleet did a good job of remaining out of range. Things evened when Briggs, in an act of desperation, teleported directly into the powder magazine of the Suleiman the Magnificent, lit it on fire, and teleported back to the Freedom just in time to watch the Ottoman first rate explode, severely injuring the Hejaz in the process. The loss of the Suleiman the Magnificent’s 92 guns and the Admiral of the fleet evened the lopsided battle, but it did not turn the tide. The turning point came nearly two hours into the battle when the USS Congress (38 guns) and USS Maryland (18 guns), out patrolling, came back and added their guns to the fight. Taking the Ottomans by surprise, the Congress entangled with the Caliph and boarded her. The melee was bloody, but the fresh and prepared marines overcame the tired Ottomans and captured the ship. When the Caliph’s 52 guns turned on them, the Ottoman fleet retreated to Tunis.

The bloody battle had seen hundreds of deaths on both sides. For the US, the Argus, Independence, and Eagle were sunk while the President and Constitution were crippled, and the Quebec, Boston, and Constellation heavily damaged. The Ottomans lost the Suleiman the Magnificent, Hejaz, Selim II, and Murad IV while the Caliph and Mehmed IV were captured.

The narrow victory set both sides back. The American fleet had been badly bloodied in the fight and it took many weeks for round the clock repairs to take place. With nearly half of their fleet under repair they could not press their advantage. The Ottomans had lost a good chunk of their fleet, including their only first rate ship of the line. They had no intentions of engaging Annaba in the near future.

The tide did begin to turn, but not on the water. The victory at Annaba and defeat of the Ottoman fleet had been resounding victory for pro-Democracy rebel groups in North Africa. Morocco’s rebellion troubles seemed to vanish (helped by several timely speeches by Briggs and Hicham who was welcomed into the Order of Freedom after the battle) and the nation entered the war on the side of the US [There is no way the US wins this war with just its navy and marines, pro-democracy and pro-US North africans and espeically the Moroccans are crucial for US victory]. When Moroccan forces captured the rebel stronghold of Oran and pro-Democracy Algerians took Setif, the Algerian civil war seemed to die down. By late July Algiers had been pacified by a joint Algerian-Marines-Moroccan force and the western coast seemed to be secure.

In Egypt the Mamluk uprising had begun when Mamluk forces seized an Ottoman fort at Luxor and then Qena, essentially seizing Upper Egypt for themselves. The Ottomans, concentrated in Tunisia and Tripolitania, Arabia, and the Balkans, had little to spare for Egypt. This forced Muhammad Ali to turn to his own forces comprised of mainly of mercenaries to battle the Mamluks. This led to Ali’s deposition of Lower Egyptian Mamluks in what became known as the Night of Terror. Loyal Ottoman soldiers and mercenaries scoured Cairo, Alexandria, and other northern Egyptian cities for Mamluks and Mamluk rebels, killing any they found. Those who did avoid capture fled south en masse where a standoff would ensue. This effectively divided Egypt into a north and south for the first time since the Pharaohs [Yes, I have split Egypt in two in the rewrite].

In Arabia, raids against the Ottomans in Mesopotamia and Palestine became increasingly common. The House of Saud even went as far as to capture Aqaba in September and then sack Amman in late October before Ottoman reinforcements could push back the Saudis. A Greek revolt, much closer to home, had Anatolia in an uproar but mismanagement by Greek leaders and a failure to expand and unify the ranks led to the Greek rebellion being crushed in early August, less then a month and a half after it began [Not everything can go the US' way:p].

In addition, Russian soldiers moved into Moldavia and Wallachia in late 1806 to safeguard the Russian border from a possible French attack [true in OTL and I can see it happening in this one as well]. The Russians were more than encouraged by Ottoman Russian Hospodars to move in [In OTL the Hospodars were kicked out by Selim III]. This led to a whole new crisis in the Empire, this one much closer to home and dealing with the always more threatening Russians.

With so many more pressing crises to tend to the Sultan began to ponder peace. The Americans had been pushed out of Tunisia and Tripolitania after all, the territories technically in the empire. Let them have Algeria and Morocco. When the Sultan was preparing a peace envoy he learned to his surprise, that North Africa was not as stalemated as he thought.

In early December Algeria, Moroccan, and US troops (which had since been reinforced by several battalions of marines) marched overland from Annaba to Tunis. Taking the garrison by surprise (until now the Americans had never attempted a battle without naval support), Tunis fell within a day. Those soldiers who were not captured fled to Tripoli. In addition several Ottoman ships were captured in port, including the 70 gun Ahmed III. To add insult to injury, the US fleet, largely repaired and augmented by the captured Ottoman ships, boldly sailed back into Tripoli harbor where after a bloody two day battle they took the city and Hamet Karamanli was put back in charge. The US fleet however had been badly damaged and their forces had been stretched thin in the bold attack. With the Ottoman army stuck in Khums with little naval support and reinforcements unable to be spared the war stalemated.

Over the next few months, neither side could get an offensive going. The Mamluks and forces of Ali in Egypt had essentially declared a cease fire, splitting Egypt in two. The House of Saud had been pushed back but the Ottomans lacked the necessary forces to crush the nation. War with Russia loomed and the Sultan had closed the Bosporus to Russian shipping. In response the Royal Navy had appeared and demanded the Bosporus be opened and the French ambassador expelled. This led to the highly botched Dardanelles Operation, which while a Turkish victory, forced the Sultan to keep a large portion of his forces near Constantinople. When Russian ships attacked an Ottoman naval battery in support of the British, Selim III had no choice but to declare war on Russia [I can see these OTL events playing out largely intact regardless of the US war, though Russia and the UK probably wouldn't get directly involved as they have Nappy to worry about.].

The US war did continue to rage at sea, largely in the Ottomans favor. Over the course of 1807 the USS New York, USS Barbuda, USS South Carolina, and famously the USS Congress where all sunk or captured. [Added this to emphasize that the US cannot win a long term war, they are stretched thin in a distant line and reliant almost completley on allies for their strength. It is certainley not all good for the US at the moment.]

With many ships being lost and the war becoming a burden on the government, Briggs needed something to force the Sultan to the peace table. He decided to give another go at sparking a Janissary revolt, this time avoiding the loyal Croia and going to other Janissary leaders. This time he found sympathetic ears in Sebastian Siklos and Nezir Aga. Citing the Sultan’s inability to keep the provinces at peace the Janissaries rose up and dethroned Selim III, replacing him with his nephew Mustafa IV. A civil war over Selim III seemed to be near but Selim was stabbed to death by Nezir Aga. Mustafa, weary of war and wishing to focus on events closer to home signed a peace treaty with the US. [I imagine the Jannisary revolt would occur just like OTL because the US pushes along the reason for military reform and the problems which the Janissaries dethroned Selim in OTL. The only issue I have with this is might even happen sooner instead of on scheudle. My reasoning for bumping it back is that with all the conflicts the Janissaries would be concerned with war as well as conspiring against Selim.]

In it the Ottomans relinquished control of Tunisia and Tripolitania, freed US prisoners, kept Cyrenaica [In the oringial the US got all of Libya, not in this version], guaranteed the existence of a Mamluk state in Upper Egypt, and agreed to prevent corsairs in Ottoman territory from harassing American shipping. War with the pirates had begun in 1801; now in mid 1807 it was finally complete.

While the US breathed a sigh of relief, Mustafa signed a truce with the Russians which allowed pro-Selim forces to converge on Constantinople. Despite the death of Selim III, the army demanded someone “worthier” take the throne. Mahmud II, who had been hidden by his mother, was alive which led to the deposition of Mustafa IV in favor of Mahmud II. Mustafa Bayrakdar, the commander of the Turkish rebels became vizier. Mahmud II’s story with the United States though, was not over.
 
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