PC: Ottoman-American War: late 19th Century?

katchen

Banned
It would take a combination of a United States Congress and Administration that takes Alfred Thayer Mahan's advice on the importance of seapower to heart a lot sooner than IOTL (1898) and builds the Great White Fleet a lot earlier, say, during the Second Cleveland Administration, along with John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil discovering oil in Hasa, and Basra Vilayets--and the Ottomans standing in the way of exploiting that oil. That, which is admittedly more like a 20th Century combination of events would be what it would take to get the US embroiled in a war with the Ottoman Empire.
 
Well -First ask Why? then the How? wiill come naturally.

Don't think its likely to happen.

The US was too obsessed with their Hemisphere and Spain, Britain and France are the likely opponents - maybe the Netherlands or even Denmark (but the latter two had a good naval history, so the US might experinece some misfortunes (Though US could have an eye on the DEIs)

Turkey - nope (unless in Vic II).

Missionaries taken - unlikely - them make a good casus belli if you have set your eyes on something send missionaries (maybe women too) and wait for the natives make a blunder, but noth the other way around...
 
Technically, this is OTL, since the Barbary States were (nominally) Ottoman.

Think 'to the shores of Tripoli' (Libya) in the US Marine hymn.

Involving Istanbul might happen, if a high ranking Ottoman official were visiting. Maybe.

Thing is, OTL the Ottomans gave the US tacit approval in their efforts to overthrow the Dey. When William Eaton set off for Egypt to hunt down the brother of the Dey, with the intent of supporting him in taking power in Tripoli, Eaton had to seek permission from Ottoman officials first - they accepted what he and the US planned to do.
 
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