Q&A · 5:53:35-5:56:38

The Çanak Crisis becomes a war

A war at the Straits in 1922 could delay implementation of the Washington treaty, while Allied forces confronted an exhausted Turkey.

Question

What if the Çanak Crisis of 1922 became a war, and would it collapse the naval treaty system?

Short answer

Britain would probably seek to suspend implementation for the duration of the war, rather than abandon the treaty outright.

Notes

The 1922 war scare followed Turkey's defeat of the Greek armies and its attempt to restore control over occupied territory. General Harington's preference for negotiation helped prevent the threatened confrontation, amid opposition to another war. In the counterfactual, Britain's likely response would be to seek suspension of the Washington Naval Treaty's implementation until hostilities ended. Allied troops at the Straits and naval intervention would make a Turkish advance difficult. A bloody but relatively short conflict is expected because Turkey had limited reserves after the First World War and subsequent fighting.