[Rhinestone Pseudo-Commie]

Did the Ottoman Empire have any real influence in WWI?

[Puolueeton]

Yes.

[Ombrageux]

You know, I've never understood why the Ottomans and Habsburgs couldn't crush the Balkan states during WW1. I mean, really, those two had dominated the peninsula for 100s of years and their only enemies were each other. You would have thought that the two front war between the two massive empires would have brutally squeezed the balkan states like a ripe zit.

[Comrade Ogilvy]

Cant say they really had any influence.


They had a badly equiped army.

[Stipe]

The Ottomans made a difference, certainly. But it was a mistake for them to enter and one largely the result of Enver Pasha's drive to ally with one European alliance or another. Turkey had recovered somewhat from the declining years of the empire during the rule of the Young Turks but it was not prepared to play the kind of power politics role that Enver wanted.

That said though, the Ottomans made a difference. They successfully defended the Turkish core of their empire to the end of the war, from the Gallipoli landings and against the Russians in the Caucauses. They were eventually knocked out of the empire's Arab lands but Ataturk actually succeeded in holding the line in southern anatolia - roughly where the borders of the modern Republic of Turkey begins. Their biggest impact was against Russia, which their role in the war further weakened. The Allies' inability to take the straits made it impossible for the allies to resupply the Russians through the Black Sea.

You know, I've never understood why the Ottomans and Habsburgs couldn't crush the Balkan states during WW1. I mean, really, those two had dominated the peninsula for 100s of years and their only enemies were each other. You would have thought that the two front war between the two massive empires would have brutally squeezed the balkan states like a ripe zit.

A few reasons.
The Austro-Hungarian Army was not much of an effective fighting force. Many of its soldiers were slavs who had little interest in fighting Serbs and Russians - whom they felt solidarity towards. The Austrian army's invasions of Serbia were each effectively beaten back.

Also, not ever Balkan state was an allied belligerant in the war. Only Serbia and Montenegro were initially involved and Greece and Bulgaria blocked the overland route from Turkey. Greece did not enter until very late and Bulgaria joined on the side of the Central powers. Until it had done so though, Turkey had to cross through Bulgarian territory if it would have wanted to attack Serbia. Regardless though, Turkey had it's hands full before such an opportunity presented itself.

[Rhinestone Pseudo-Commie]

It is of my understand that Enver Pasha was brash. He lead 100k Ottomans, in the winter, point-blank, directly into the Russians at some point of the war (don't remember the exact time). 80% casualty rate. The only reason the Russians didn't counterattack is because the Russian Civil War had recently erupted, and the White Army was in disarray.

[Stipe]

Yes, Enver was basically an adventurer. He had the image of himself as the Ottoman Napoleon who had curtailed the monarchy and would lead his nation to glory. He was simply not equal to his vision of himself.

It's telling how he died - far from the Ottoman Empire in Central Asia fighting alongside Turkic rebels against the Bolsheviks. He was the complete opposite of Ataturk. Ataturk knew when to stop and was more than happy to use diplomacy and patience to realize his goals rather than military power whenever possible. Enver was an adventuring gloryhound, and this was one of the primary reasons the Turkish Grand National Assembly, at the start of the Turkish War of Independence, refused to grant him access back into the country.