The Ottoman navy had leaned towards Britain before Churchill seized two publicly funded ships under construction, while the army leaned towards Germany. Goeben's arrival helped tip that political balance. Without the German ships, Russia remains the dominant Black Sea naval power and the Ottomans may stay neutral longer while continuing to allow trade through the straits. With the Baltic closed, the estimate here puts roughly ninety per cent of Russian goods on the Dardanelles route. Delaying Ottoman intervention would let food and supplies flow and remove the immediate need for a rushed 1915 forcing operation. Neutrality would not necessarily release Russian troops watching the Ottoman frontier, because relations could remain tense.
Chapter · 1:32:50-1:35:06
Without Goeben, Ottoman neutrality could keep Russia supplied
The loss of Goeben and Breslau could delay Ottoman entry into the war and preserve the Dardanelles trade route on which Russia increasingly depended.