Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:15:28-1:16:06

Would taking Constantinople require a destructive bombardment?

Queen Elizabeth might not need to bombard Constantinople because the threat of her guns could make the Ottoman government collapse or flee.

Alternate HistoryGallipoli CampaignNaval CoercionOttoman EmpireQueen Elizabeth Class Battleships
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Question

Would taking Constantinople require a bombardment that endangered Hagia Sophia?

Short answer

Probably not. The threat from Queen Elizabeth's 15-inch guns could make the Ottoman government flee before a bombardment was necessary.

Notes

A bombardment of Constantinople could endanger Hagia Sophia, but the naval threat might make firing unnecessary. Queen Elizabeth's 15-inch guns trained on the capital could drive the Ottoman government to flee. Its authority might then collapse as Constantinople fell. This counterfactual depends on the government's vulnerability to coercion and leaves open the risk of violence.