World War I Conflict Outside of Europe
Jan 03, 2016
Ottomans Losing Power
• After the death of Suleyman I in 1566 the empire began to weaken for the next 300 years– Corruption– Fell behind in modern technology
Geopolitics
• Europeans saw a weakened Ottoman Empire and started to make moves toward taking territory vital for access to sea trade
Crimean War
• Russia wanted a warm-water port
• Black Sea was controlled by Ottomans
• 1853 War breaks out
• British and French helped Ottomans to keep Russia in check
Results of Crimean War
• Russia lost, but showed how weak the Ottomans were
• Russia aided Balkan states in rebellion against Ottomans– Rise of Nationalism in Balkans
• Ottoman Empire lost control of the Balkans and Africa
WWI Total War
• Countries devoted their resources to the war effort
• Governments told the people what to produce
• Facilities were converted to making weapons and supplies
• Unemployment was nearly gone
WWI Gallipoli Campaign Plan
• Allies plan to defeat the Ottomans and create a supply line to Russia
• Needed to gain access to Black Sea
Russia
Ottoman Empire
Central Powers
Gallipoli Campaign
• Allies suffered large losses and evacuated
• Armenians pledged support for the Allies because of mass slaughter and genocide by the Ottomans years earlier
Armenian Massacre
• Who were the Armenians a problem for?–Young Turks
• How did they deal with their problem?–Deportation, mass killings
(extermination)
Armenian Massacre
• What did the Armenian Christians ask for from the Ottoman Empire?– Civil Rights
– Equal rights as a Christian living under a Muslim theocracy
Results of WWI
• Central Powers lost the war and the Ottoman Empire fell
• Treaty of Versailles forced Ottoman Empire to lose all territories except Turkey