Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:05:09-1:05:42

Why Ottoman entry cannot be carried over to a 1920 war

A war beginning in 1920 would arise from a different crisis, so Ottoman participation and coalition choices cannot simply be copied from 1914.

Alternate HistoryDiplomacyOttoman EmpireWorld War I
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Question

Would the Ottoman Empire still join a world war delayed to 1920?

Short answer

It cannot be assumed; a 1920 war would likely begin from a different crisis and change which states joined and why.

Notes

Removing the 1914 crisis changes more than the date of the conflict. A general war in 1920 would need a different trigger, and that new crisis would reshape which states joined and why. Ottoman participation therefore cannot be inherited from the actual First World War. The closing discussion offers Ottoman fiscal collapse and civil war as one possible new trigger, which could draw neighboring states into conflict for different reasons.