WI: United States had declared war on Ottoman Empire in WW1

There was tremendous pressure on President Wilson to do so, including from Theodore Roosevelt. Instead the United States remained neutral in relation to the Ottoman Empire. But would it have made any real difference if the US had entered the war against the Ottoman Empire? Or would it have been largely of symbolic value. Would it have affected the duration of the war?
 
It would have been great fun for TR to lead a latter day Rough Riders regiment alongside the Aussie Light Horsemen in the Palestine Campaign. And what TR would have made of Lawrence of Arabia is fascinating to think about.
 

mowque

Banned
It would have been great fun for TR to lead a latter day Rough Riders regiment alongside the Aussie Light Horsemen in the Palestine Campaign. And what TR would have made of Lawrence of Arabia is fascinating to think about.

Seeing as he was sick and old, TR would not have done much.
 

Paul MacQ

Donor
Poissible to declare war not sure why though

Well one way would be the sending Troops from the Pacific. I am not sure they could scrape together more than a Division because distances involved.

Main reason for being there to have a Stronger seat on negotiating table the table regarding the break up of the Empire.
 
Perhaps if the United States gets involved, they get at least a partial mandate in the Middle East? Not sure if the British and French would be terribly keen on America getting a slice of the pie, but IIRC this was the prefered option of the arabs.
 
Poissible to declare war not sure why though

Well one way would be the sending Troops from the Pacific. I am not sure they could scrape together more than a Division because distances involved.

Main reason for being there to have a Stronger seat on negotiating table the table regarding the break up of the Empire.

Americans have been involved in the Middle East for quite some time. much longer than mainstream people think. Instead of an attack on the Lusitiana imagine an attack on the American Univeristy in Beirut by Ottaman soldiers. It was at that time a Protestant Missionary school, if they taught a little more american civics I can imagine the Ottomans getting a little upset. Throw in a religous situation to the much hated (by this board) Wilson, an already religous man and I see Operation Desert Storm Roughrider style (sounds like a porn, I know lol).
 
Seeing as he was sick and old, TR would not have done much.
Actually in OTL TR wanted to raise a volunteer division for France but was put off by Wilson. One can see him doing the same for the Palestine Campaign and Wilson letting him, just to get him out of his hair.
 
Actually in OTL TR wanted to raise a volunteer division for France but was put off by Wilson. One can see him doing the same for the Palestine Campaign and Wilson letting him, just to get him out of his hair.
Yeah, Mike Resnick Wrote a Short Story about What would have Happened if TR had Gone to France ...

Entitled "Over There", it Chronicles his Difficulties in Getting General Pershing to Take his New Rough Riders Seriously ...

In The End, Well; Let's just Say The Germans were Much Better with their Machine Guns than The Spanish Ever Even Dreamed of Being and we'll Leave it at That!

:eek:
 

wormyguy

Banned
Perhaps if the United States gets involved, they get at least a partial mandate in the Middle East? Not sure if the British and French would be terribly keen on America getting a slice of the pie, but IIRC this was the prefered option of the arabs.
I doubt it - US public opinion was by this point almost wholly opposed to colonial adventures. At most there will be some Arab client state - even that's unlikely,
 
I doubt it - US public opinion was by this point almost wholly opposed to colonial adventures. At most there will be some Arab client state - even that's unlikely,
True. but when has that ever stopped the US?
:eek:

Seriosly, though, IIRC the arabs looked more favorably on american administration than a european one. It wouldn't be entirely shocking if they push for it during the peace settlement, although a lukewarm american reaction and european opposition may shoot this down anyways.
 
Hash: IIRC Morgenthau Sr., the Ambassador in Istanbul, kept reporting the *events relating to Armenia and the junta* to Washington, but nothing came of his reports.
 
Hash: IIRC Morgenthau Sr., the Ambassador in Istanbul, kept reporting the *events relating to Armenia and the junta* to Washington, but nothing came of his reports.

Morgenthau was on very good terms with the Young Turks, and didn't write his memoirs until after the USA had already declared war. There are extant letters involving Wilson that encouraged this, to use the Armenians as propaganda against Germany.

It seems highly unlikely the USA would declare war on the USA, but if it did, the main difference would be that the Ottomans would have shut down all the American missionary institutions, and compromised its post-war position.

It could possibly have affected the Ottoman exit from the war - as they like the other CP fell for the 14-points thing.

There is absolutely no chance whatsoever of any American protectorates. That possibility was equally there even without a declaration, and there was no interest.
 
Yeah, Mike Resnick Wrote a Short Story about What would have Happened if TR had Gone to France ...

Entitled "Over There", it Chronicles his Difficulties in Getting General Pershing to Take his New Rough Riders Seriously ...

In The End, Well; Let's just Say The Germans were Much Better with their Machine Guns than The Spanish Ever Even Dreamed of Being and we'll Leave it at That!

:eek:

I always thought that story to be a little unrealistic. Even someone as gung ho as TR would have been too smart to lead a cavalry charge across No Man's Land. In any event, the Negev as part of Allenby's army would have been just the place for him.
 

Hashasheen

Banned
Hash: IIRC Morgenthau Sr., the Ambassador in Istanbul, kept reporting the *events relating to Armenia and the junta* to Washington, but nothing came of his reports.
Oh, I know. I'm just saying the man did a decent job fighting for us Arabs in the post-war discussions with Britain and the USA. He actually might be the only American president who stood with Arabs instead of anyone else.
 
Henry Cabot Lodge never became President. Otherwise it would've been Enoch Powell's wet dream from Rivers of Blood come true.
 
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