Recent content by Germaniac

The point was that they were using old ships no longer useful for frontline service and would likely be scrapped after the war regardless. They were expendable… but their crews didn’t agree.

As others have noted, the plan was to run the fleet up the Bosporus, regardless of losses, and force the Ottomans to surrender by putting the Capital (and only real center of any industry or war production) under the direct threat of Naval Guns. While I don't have any sources to back me up on...

Without the support of the Turkish leadership, it’s impossible. I believe any hope of an Ottoman Identity dies with that war. It’s like asking the average American in 2001 to turn the other cheek. The Turks saw the Balkan war as a final betrayal by the minorities of the Empire and that the...

Had the Ottoman Empire survived to the present day, in the form you lay out, it would be much more powerful economically, culturally, and militarily than the Saudis/Kuwait/UAE/Qatar combined. Though the Ottomans had lost the Balkan War in 1912-13, they were not necessarily "in decline". The...

Conversion to Oil would occur later, maybe in the 30's. Its unlikely the Ottomans would scrap a ship like the Blucher, even if it was outdated even when purchased. So, like the Averoff in OTL, it will likely have a rebuild and will be converted to Oil at that point. Regarding the Germans, the...

Yes, the Imperial Arsenal could theoretically build ships, but it would need serious modernization. The Abdul Kadir class in all honesty isn’t a bad design, incorporating a lot learned from British shipbuilders who came to survey the shipyards in the 1890’s, but construction was done on the...

That’s going to be Anglo-Persian Oil’s income, not what the Ottomans will receive. But even then, the Ottomans are still a great power, and contrary to popular understanding the Ottomans had excellent credit. The financial reforms since 1881 had been comprehensive, and if the Ottoman...

In my opinion there is only one ship that’s reasonably available and would be a game changer for the Ottomans, the Blucher. The ship is practically pointless for the Germans, and is arguably more than a match for the Averof. Had they really pushed the Germans I believe they would have sold it...

For the most part this is correct. Everyone knew the oil potential in the region, or at least strongly suspected. Abdul Hamid used this as a bargaining chip to balance priorities he had, mostly resolving foreign damage claims related to the 1897 repression of Armenian populations in...

The problem with oil extraction in the middle east is that the companies who had the rights (first it was deutche Bank, which then transferred to Turkish Petroleum, which became the Iraqi Petroleum Company) had little incentive to build the infrastructure and extract the oil due to the extremely...

I’m including attacking through Poland in my calculation of the Russian ability to supply and maintain an additional army. Sure, they could throw multiple armies into the region paradox style, but they can’t support them.

Russia avoided building up infrastructure in the border regions and already faced significant difficulties maintaining supplies for two armies let alone six. They would be able to at most maintain a third army in the region, though even this would likely be enough to swamp the 8th Army (which...

There was no history of a King of Bavaria until 1806 either. I doubt a Hapsburg will remain as the head of state of Austria if they aren't granted a Kingship to be on at least equal level of Bavaria, Saxony, and Wurttemberg.

I actually think it would be the opposite. I think Archduke Joseph August, Palatine of Hungary, would be more likely to take the Hungarian throne in such a scenario. His branch of the family had resided in Hungary since his grandfather (5th son of Leopold II) was named Palatine. Karl would...

I agree, it entirely depends on how ranging from a centralized militarized stratocracy to a Liberal parliamentary democracy, its all about the journey. Most likely though your run of the mill Parliamentary system with a figure head sultan and a very independent military.