Goeben's arrival affected the balance between pro-British naval feeling and pro-German military influence in the Ottoman Empire. The seizure of publicly funded Ottoman ships under construction in Britain had embarrassed the pro-British naval party. Germany's gift of Goeben consequently offered both combat power and a high-status political symbol. Breslau's fate mattered, but Goeben was the central prize and the larger lever on Ottoman alignment.
Notable Point · 54:39-56:18
How losing Goeben could alter Ottoman alignment
The German ships' arrival at Constantinople offered the Ottomans prestige and naval power after Britain seized Ottoman-built warships; their loss could weaken that political effect.