Pour le coeur

[Scarecrow]

I don't normaly stray into the After 1900 forum, but I'm a sucker for Alternate World War One timelines. And this one is most interesting, I especialy like the fact that the Ottomans and Greece are (will be?) on different sides in the conflict.

I tip my hat to you.

 

[MrP]

I don't normaly stray into the After 1900 forum, but I'm a sucker for Alternate World War One timelines. And this one is most interesting, I especialy like the fact that the Ottomans and Greece are (will be?) on different sides in the conflict.

I tip my hat to you.

Cheers, old boy.

It's actually a lot easier than I'd first thought to get the Ottomans on the Entente side - I'm surprised it doesn't happen in more WWI TLs, really. Anyway, I've finally got the Ottomans up to scratch. My sincerest thanks to Abdul Hadi Pasha for putting up with my bothersome questions, and being so damned helpful! It's no exaggeration to say that without his assistance, this bit'd make less sense than a battleship made of cicadas.

OTL pp.490ff, Dr Laura O'Doyle, The Ottoman Empire, Oxford University Press, 2006:

Bad harvests, tax increases and arrears in pay led to strikes and a small mutiny in the army in Macedonia in 1909. The attempted assassination of General Shemsi Pasha by one of his subordinates, and the spread of civil unrest led to the Sultan calling his Council of Ministers, which discussed the situation for two days. Thereafter, shrewdly discerning the risk of civil war, Sultan Abdul Hamid resurrected the constitution of 1877, and recalled parliament, following a general election. He accepted the necessity of compromising with the volatile Young Turks, and appointed Kamil Pasha as Grand Vezir.

Taking advantage of the Empire’s internal confusion, in October Bulgaria declared Prince Ferdinand Tsar of all Bulgarians, in the style of Bulgaria’s mediaeval empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire formally annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina from the Ottoman Empire, following secret negotiations between Austria and Russia. The annexation prompted an international outcry, and led to heated diplomatic exchanges. Serbia mobilised her army, furious that her designs on these lands had been so suddenly thwarted, and was barely persuaded to stand down when it became apparent that she could expect no Russian support. Russia knew herself incapable of waging war without French support, and France attempted to smooth over the entire debacle with a suggested conference in Paris to discuss the affair.

Following the advent of the new parliament in Istanbul, Abdul Hamid learned through his intelligence agents of the existence of a planned counter-revolution, and calculated the great danger he could be in should he be associated with it by the restive soldiery in Macedonia. He therefore issued a proclamation reaffirming his faith in the new government to the public on 3rd April, 1910, and warned Kamil Pasha to recall troops in case First Corps attempted to reinstitute the old manner of government. He secretly invited the President of the Senate, Ahmed Riza, to the Yildiz Palace for his own safety.

The counter-revolutionaries were thus weakened and demoralised by Abdul Hamid’s proclamation supporting the new government. So when a number of units mutinied, marching to the square before the Chamber of Deputies, they were met by a few companies swiftly dispatched from the Macedonian Army, under a promising fiery young officer, Mustafa Kemal. Although Kemal’s men were few in number, they served as a focal point for loyalist forces, and reinforcements soon arrived under General Shemsi Pasha. The Counter-Revolution of 5th April, 1910 was swiftly crushed, and Abdul Hamid’s judicious manoeuvring and wise use of his intelligence service earned him some trust from the previously suspicious Young Turks of the Macedonian Army.

While the populace and Parliament hailed the Sultan as the saviour of the nascent Parliament. Ahmed Riza, filled with gratitude and trust, hailed the actions of the Sultan in averting the overthrow of the new state. In the aftermath, Abdul Hamid again proclaimed his full support for the new system, and even grudgingly accepted Ahmed Riza’s suggestion that he should curtail some of his powers. A parliamentary committee was convened which gradually stripped the Sultan of his powers in the following years, reducing him to a figurehead monarch. As a result of both his actions in defence of the new democracy and the reduction in his powers, his popularity was at greater heights than for many years, and the modernists who wished to remove him from power found their plans short-circuited.

During 1911 a number of significant reforms were enacted, and there began to be a clear demarcation in the new Parliament between several parties, each espousing differing goals, that nonetheless tended toward modernisation. The elections of 1912 marked a new age. Even despite what later generations would regard as an unacceptable amount of interference in the democratic process by traditionalist elements and reformers in the military, they were widely seen as a step in the right direction both by the population of the Empire and by the Great Powers. However, danger loomed in the shape of Italian populism. By late February, Italy was firmly at war with the Empire, seeking to benefit herself by acquiring Libya.

Lacking any form of naval superiority, and rebuffed in her desire to send soldiers across Egypt - which embarrassingly declared her neutrality under Britain – the most the Ottoman military could do was dispatch a cadre of officers to organise local resistance. However, the achieved successes out of all proportion to their numbers against the technologically superior, better supplied Italians, despite the Italians’ increasing use of airpower. Although this did lead to the unlucky claims of Mahmud Shevket Pasha and Enver Bey to be the first high-ranking officers killed by aerial bombing in time of war.

Nonetheless, the surviving Chief-of-Staff, Captain Kemal Pasha, waged a stunning campaign, all but destroying the initial Italian force, and compelling the sending of several divisions of reinforcements to conquer and hold down Libya. The Empire had ordered from British yards several powerful modern warships, but these were still under construction, and would not be available for the war. Meanwhile, in the Balkans disaster threatened...

Italian soldiery posing for photographs before the bodies of dead Arab resistance fighters in the second stage of the Italo-Turkish War:

 

[MrP]

On a more peaceful note:

...related to Abdul Hamid’s aspiring leadership of the Moslem world was another such hidden project, that of the Hejaz Railway. Starting from Damascus, it was designed to serve all the pilgrims to the holy shrines of Medina and Mecca, and so to make the Sultan’s prestige as caliph a concrete reality, both within his own territories and beyond them – while at the same time strengthening his political hold over the peoples in the Yemen and elsewhere. As a railway sacred in purpose, it was to be financed exclusively by contributions from the world of Islam and constructed by Moslem labour, including that of the Turkish army – but with the supervision and advice of foreign technicians. Started in 1901, the Hejaz Railway was completed within eight years as far as Medina, enhancing the credit of Ottoman enterprise and inspiring reverence for the caliph in the eyes of Moslems far and wide.

The Hejaz Railway IOTL - rest assured that ITTL it will be completed.

A modern museum in Medain Saleh on the Hejaz Railway:

 

[Calgacus]

Very nice, MrP. The Enver Bey killed in Libya is the very same Ismail Enver that later was Minister of War I take it?

 

[MrP]

Very nice, MrP. The Enver Bey killed in Libya is the very same Ismail Enver that later was Minister of War I take it?

That's the fella. He'd be a bit of a pain to have around ITTL, to be honest, since he's a bit too overpowering a personality, so I resolved to kill him off, and hand the Italians a small triumph.

 

[MrP]

Apologies for the current hiatus in updates. The seasonably inclement sunshine and warmth has diminished my capacity to think. With luck, I'll put summat up in a day or two.

 

[Douglas]

Apologies for the current hiatus in updates. The seasonably inclement sunshine and warmth has diminished my capacity to think. With luck, I'll put summat up in a day or two.

Yes...I'm hoping for rain. You need to continue!

 

[Abdul Hadi Pasha]

I'm sweeping details under the carpet for now in the hope that I can avoid mentioning them unless someone calls me on precisely why the French government decided to allow x to do y.

Eeep. I was about to do that but I'll refrain.

Anyway, the style is superb.

 

[Abdul Hadi Pasha]

Two things: Would mainstream papers really report on minutae like that at this time, down to details of the artillery etc? I stand corrected if you have any real life examples from the era.

YES!!!! The papers of the time covered incredible minutia when it came to everything. It's kind of unbelievable. I have some volumes of the Illustrated London News, which was not exactly highbrow, and the detail for every warship launched by any navy is pretty amazing.

 

[Abdul Hadi Pasha]

Historically the Germans were not above playing both sides - as were the British... there's nothing to stop the Germans from making a political blunder in Istanbul (which, just for THIS TL, we'll allow to be referred to as... well, I can't say it, but I will allow it) especially as the Young Turks were considered strongly pro-Entente - it is not illogical for the Germans to want a reversion to Abdul Hamid, who tended to favor Germany due to its lack of territorial interests in the empire.

I think the Libya thing could go either way vis-a-vis the Balkan Wars - Italy wasn't doing so well in OTL, either.

BTW, I usually rip my human mask off and eat babies when people call the Ottoman Empire "Turkey", but for the period-writing, "Turkey" would probably be more authentic.

Mr P

Just catching up on this and looking great. However am concerned that the Greco-German alliance is a bit unlikely. For one thing as mentioned it will alienate the Ottomans, who are far more valuable. For another I think Greece would be very aware that their country is so dependent on maritime shipping and hence highly vulnerable to naval pressure. Also I would point out that the German navy would be highly unlikely to be concerned about British reinforcements through the Med. [Presumably considering Indians or Anzacs here?] For one thing they would be uncertain as to whether they would be even fighting or not. For another their entire plan is dependent on a quick victory in the west. So unless there is some reason for a highly unlikely deployment of imperial forces to Europe prior to a war breaking out such movements would seem highly irrelevant to the Germans. Also, both because of their risk fleet policy and the way they are heavily outnumbered it would be insane for the Germans to intentionally deploy forces to the Med in the run up to war.

I could see possibly attempts to intercept French reinforcement from Algeria, which was a concern for the French historically. However, even then it would seem a bad use of scare naval forces. Also, with Italy still formally allied and alienated by French actions over Libya that would seem a better hope for possible bases. [Or the Ottomans themselves who have a much more extensive coastline than Greece].

With an Ottoman victory in Libya this may butterfly the Balkan wars. especially if Greece is aligning itself with Germany, which would make co-operation with pro-Russian Serbia and Bulgaria [at the time] more difficult.

While I was tickled about the south pole reversal, from what I understand about the differing standards in organisation of the two expeditions I rather suspect that would be ASB.

However an excellent scenario and looking forward to seeing more.

Steve

 

[Abdul Hadi Pasha]

Very nice, P, a joy to read.

Your Ottoman section works very well - Abdul Hamid was hated by the elite, but pretty popular with the people. As a figurehead the Sultanate would most likely become even more popular... that's one of the main reasons why Mustafa Kemal abolished the Caliphate - even without any political power it was a strong potential rival power-center. Abdul Hamid was a realist, and a very, very tired one at that (by 1909 he'd been on the throne for 33 years, actually ruling, working 14 hours a day with NOT ONE vacation...) - he would likely grudgingly accept his new role, be too old to really resist it, plus he had massive private resources to manage - he was probably one of the wealthiest men on Earth...

Also, not being deposed, his diplomatic skill and connections would still be of some service to the state...

 

[Calgacus]

BTW, I usually rip my human mask off and eat babies when people call the Ottoman Empire "Turkey", but for the period-writing, "Turkey" would probably be more authentic.

I sometimes say Turkey when Ottoman Empire gets a bit much to type, and OE seems a little obscurist. Sometimes even Ottoman Turks, or just Ottomans. Shouldn't it be Ottoman Sultanate though?

 

[Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy]

BTW, I usually rip my human mask off and eat babies when people call the Ottoman Empire "Turkey", but for the period-writing, "Turkey" would probably be more authentic.

I'm gonna hide now.

 

[Hendryk]

The Hejaz Railway IOTL - rest assured that ITTL it will be completed.

What about the Baghdad railway? I remember watching a documentary about it not long ago.

 

[Max Sinister]

Yes, that's it. It was also called "the backbone of steel for the Ottoman empire". Strange that it doesn't go through Ankara.

 

[Hendryk]

Yes, that's it. It was also called "the backbone of steel for the Ottoman empire". Strange that it doesn't go through Ankara.

If it could go all the way to Basra, that would definitely consolidate the Ottomans' hold on Mesopotamia.

 

[Abdul Hadi Pasha]

Yes, that's it. It was also called "the backbone of steel for the Ottoman empire". Strange that it doesn't go through Ankara.

Ankara wasn't a very important place at the time - it actually started to develop once the Anatolian Railway terminated there. The original plan was for the Baghdad RR to begin there, but the Russians prevented the line from going that way because it would have made the Ottomans much more militarily capable against Russia.

 

[Abdul Hadi Pasha]

I sometimes say Turkey when Ottoman Empire gets a bit much to type, and OE seems a little obscurist. Sometimes even Ottoman Turks, or just Ottomans. Shouldn't it be Ottoman Sultanate though?

The Ottomans just called it "Devlet-i Aliyye" usually translated "The Sublime State". Modern Turkish historians call it "Ottoman State" or "Ottoman Sultanate", but that's not based on historical practice.

 

[Abdul Hadi Pasha]

If it could go all the way to Basra, that would definitely consolidate the Ottomans' hold on Mesopotamia.

It was planned for it to terminate in Basra (originally Kuwait) - but even if it didn't, Baghdad would be enough to consolidate the Ottoman hold, as the Tigris is easily navigable from there.

 

[Faeelin]

Great, P.

Just great.