Constantinople falls in 1915

Polish Eagle

The Royal Navy was just a single decision from taking Constantinople in 1915, according to David Fromkin in "A Peace to End All Peace."

While Admiral de Robeck, aboard ship, was giving his orders to give up the fight, on shore the Turkish defending forces...received orders to fire their remaining rounds of ammunition and then to abandon their coastal positions. If Admiral de Robeck...had plunged back into battle for a second day he would have seen the enemy forces withdraw and melt away...the fleet would have steamed into Constantinople without opposition.
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So, what if de Robeck had? The Royal Navy continues on and Constantinople falls.

Does this knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war? Would that enable the Entente to directly advance through the Balkans into Austria-Hungary?

What other effects could this have? No Gallipoli, no disgrace of Churchill, no Arab Revolt?
 
Nassirisimo

Nassirisimo

Contrary to popular myth, the British did not come within sliver of breaking through the Dardanelles with the initial naval assault. Actual evidence from the Turkish Archives does not show any kind of ammunition shortage in the Dardanelles forts (source is Robin Prior's book on Gallipoli). The mistaken belief that it was about to fall was symptomatic of a consistent British underestimation of the effectiveness of the Ottomans during the war, which of course would contribute to dooming Gallipoli ultimately.

The naval attempt to destroy the Dardanelles forts was doomed because the British (and in particular, Churchill) had misread the lessons of Liege. They had seen the German pulverisation of the Belgian forts and assumed that it was still easy to destroy modern fortifications. They were apparently unaware that it was heavy howitzers that had been key in destroying Belgium's forts, and believed that the guns of their (outdated) ships would suffice.

The only way Constantinople is falling from operations in the Dardanelles is with a successful ground operation, and the chances of that of course, are slim.
 

Paul V McNutt

Banned
IF it could have happened then the Ottomans surrender. The British and French divide up the Empire but do not have to reward the Heshamites. The supply line to Russia is opened up and Entente troops go help Serbia. Greece, Bulgaria and Romania join the Entente. Austria Hungary is in serious trouble. Here is a thought, the Germans know they are in serious trouble so they decide to starve the British and French with unrestricted submarine warfare. Knowing this going to bring the US into the war, the Foreign Minister, whose name i forget, sends a telegram to the Ambassador in Mexico City suggesting an alliance with territory lost in 1848 as a reward. The US enters two years early. The war ends on November 11, 1916, with Allied forces occupying Germany. Corporal Hitler admits Germany lost the war.
 
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