New capital for Ottoman Empire...

... in case they lost Constantinople to Bulgarians in First Balkan War?

What city could become the new capital?

BTW: I'm not interested in plausability of the Bulgarians getting it. Let's say Bulgarian army was better than in OTL, they conquered the city and created fait accompli. There was a peace signed between the Balkan League and Ottoman Empire. Great Powers (especially Russia) somehow did not react.

So which city would likely be chosen for capital in that ATL?

There is still a vast, Asiatic, Ottoman Empire.
 
I'm afraid I disagree with you. The discussion of a plausability of sacking Constantinople by Bulgarians would be fascinating (both military and diplomatic - between the League members and the Great Powers actions) and it was done here on the site already.

I was just curious which city would be chosen?

Somewhere in ethnic Turkey? (Konya? Ankara?) or maybe Damascus, shifting the centre of the Empire into southern part of it? Or maybe somewhere "between" - like Adana or Iskenderun - at the ethnic Turkish lands, but on the edge of that, and at the geographical centre of the Empire?
 
In case they lost the capital, asking whether they had also lost Thessalonica would be a dumb question, so it is out of the picture. In that case, Izmir/Smyrna is by far the second largest city in the Empire, also not too far from Istanbul either, which makes it the obvious choice. A bit further than Bursa, though. Bursa would also make a good choice, too. Angora, I don't think so. I still have no idea why it was chosen as the capital of the republic over, say, Kayseri or Konya (maybe it was the first major-ish town on the main supply route originating from the Black Sea coast), I even doubt why a town was founded there back in the Antiquity. Seriously, Ankara makes no sense at all. If we're looking for a city with a less Greek population than Izmir, Adana(might be too Armenian, in which case choose another city in the southern coast), Konya and Kayseri might be other alternatives.
 
Odd that Constantinople is the capital OTL, considering how close it is to the Western border of the Ottoman Empire.
In its favour, Constantinople is a major port/trading city linking Asia with Europe. Constantinople also regulates trade between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

Alternative capitals could be founded for religious or economic reasons.
Mecca and Medina would make great "religious" capitals, but they are off major trading routes and suffer a shortage of drinking water.
So any alternate capital needs to be along a major trading route and have a river to supply drinking water for a few million people.
For example, if Ottoman trade shifted towards the Indian Ocean, it would make more sense to built a new capital city in the Straits of Hormuz or the South end of the Red Sea (eventual terminus of Suez Canal) or maybe even South India or the Straits of Malaga.
Remember that dhows can move cargo for a fraction of th cost of caravans.
 
Odd that Constantinople is the capital OTL, considering how close it is to the Western border of the Ottoman Empire.
In its favour, Constantinople is a major port/trading city linking Asia with Europe. Constantinople also regulates trade between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

Alternative capitals could be founded for religious or economic reasons.
Mecca and Medina would make great "religious" capitals, but they are off major trading routes and suffer a shortage of drinking water.
So any alternate capital needs to be along a major trading route and have a river to supply drinking water for a few million people.
For example, if Ottoman trade shifted towards the Indian Ocean, it would make more sense to built a new capital city in the Straits of Hormuz or the South end of the Red Sea (eventual terminus of Suez Canal) or maybe even South India or the Straits of Malaga.
Remember that dhows can move cargo for a fraction of th cost of caravans.

Constantinople wasn't close to the western border of the OE when it became the capital. The western border got closer over time :D
Also, if the Bulgarians conquer Constantinople, it's way too late for the Empire to assert control over its peripheries or any new territory far away from the center. Mecca/Medina or shifting the Ottoman trade ideas are a bit too far-fetched for that. That's also why I didn't really venture much further than Anatolia when looking for a new capital.
 

Deleted member 94680

Problem is, this does depend on the form of the War. Who's involved? Is it just the OTL beligerents, or has anyone else joined in? Is there a chance of invasion of the Asian side of the Empire? Would the Capital need to be inland, or is a coastal city a good choice?

Iskenderun? Large and well developed. Probably the best choice in the time of the First/Second Balkan War. I can't see it being Mecca or Medina, too "Arab" for the Turks to choose, especially in the case of loosing the War so catestrophically. Smyrna is too "Greek" to be chosen, losing Constantinople would probably preclude the ability to purge the Greeks as in OTL without international intervention (remember this is pre-WWI). Why did Ataturk chose Ankara? Would his reasons be suitable for the Ottomans?

Would the Capital be Provisional, for the duration of the rest of the War, or the new permament Capital?
 
Iskenderun? Large and well developed. Probably the best choice in the time of the First/Second Balkan War. I can't see it being Mecca or Medina, too "Arab" for the Turks to choose, especially in the case of loosing the War so catestrophically. Smyrna is too "Greek" to be chosen, losing Constantinople would probably preclude the ability to purge the Greeks as in OTL without international intervention (remember this is pre-WWI). Why did Ataturk chose Ankara? Would his reasons be suitable for the Ottomans?
Ankara was one of the larger towns that the resistance controlled, which didn't include Western and Southern coasts. The situation is a bit too different (unless the Greeks do wildly better than OTL Balkan Wars, and OTL Balkan Wars were kind of an Ottoscrew) for Ottomans to choose Ankara.
 
Would the Capital be Provisional, for the duration of the rest of the War, or the new permament Capital?

I believe that's one of the things that should be distinguished.

If Ottomans had to find only a temporary capital, I guess they'd do what Byzantines did in 1204, choosing Izmir, Iznik or some other suitable place, just on the other side of the Marmara/Aegean Sea.

But If it would be for a longer period - I'd vote Syria, as the geographical center of the remains of Empire.

So - either Damascus (due to some religious/historical reasons) or some city at the shore... Since Antioch is out of question ;) there are few more cities founded by Greeks in Antiquity (Like Iskenderun or... Latakya - Alexandria or Laodicaea...) as Ottomans did like to choose ancient Greek cities... :)

I'd choose Iskenderun, as it is located on the Turkish-Arabic ethnic borderland.


Thanks for posts!

Interesting, unsolvable game...
 
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