Ottomans change sides WWI?

[maltesefalcon]

What if the Ottoman Empire took a step back in the late summer of 1916?
Realizing that the war could drag on for years and that their German Allies could not spare much to help them, they decide to change sides.
Austria-Hungary was a past and potentially future adversary just as much as Russia, France and the UK were.

So what do they get? Potentially, relief from the UK and France stirring up local rebellions.

The Turks needn't supply a lot in the way of troops or material to the Allies. Just not attack them and allow free passage to Russia before it was too late to help them. This would also free a lot of troops and supplies for the Western Front.

Any thoughts on this?

[Peter89]

What if the Ottoman Empire took a step back in the late summer of 1916?
Realizing that the war could drag on for years and that their German Allies could not spare much to help them, they decide to change sides.
Austria-Hungary was a past and potentially future adversary just as much as Russia, France and the UK were.

So what do they get? Potentially, relief from the UK and France stirring up local rebellions.

The Turks needn't supply a lot in the way of troops or material to the Allies. Just not attack them and allow free passage to Russia before it was too late to help them. This would also free a lot of troops and supplies for the Western Front.

Any thoughts on this?

The A-H Empire was far from being an adversary, their common enemies were on the Balkans.

Arab nationalism could make a common colonial interest with the Entente powers though.

Russia's collapse might lead to territorial gains in the Caucasus and the oil fields might prove to be lucrative, but I doubt that Turkey (with a population that of Hungary in 1941) could retain much of these territories for long.

[nuyt]

Why summer 1916? The Allies still licking their wounds from Gallipoli... Better place this turn of events at the beginning of the war or make Gallipoli a success, ie Ottoman forces collapse and a military coup follows...

[maltesefalcon]

Why summer 1916? The Allies still licking their wounds from Gallipoli... Better place this turn of events at the beginning of the war or make Gallipoli a success, ie Ottoman forces collapse and a military coup follows...

Well for one thing the Ottomans weren't in the war at the beginning. And it took several huge battles for both sides to realize it would go on for some time.
The failure of that Gallipoli campaign was what would prompt the Allies to try to lure Turkey to their side.

[maltesefalcon]

What if the Ottoman Empire took a step back in the late summer of 1916?
Realizing that the war could drag on for years and that their German Allies could not spare much to help them, they decide to change sides.
Austria-Hungary was a past and potentially future adversary just as much as Russia, France and the UK were.

So what do they get? Potentially, relief from the UK and France stirring up local rebellions.

The Turks needn't supply a lot in the way of troops or material to the Allies. Just not attack them and allow free passage to Russia before it was too late to help them. This would also free a lot of troops and supplies for the Western Front.

Any thoughts on this?

The A-H Empire was far from being an adversary, their common enemies were on the Balkans.

Ottomans and A-H were rivals for influence in the Balkans either by alliance or occupation. Conflict there with A-H had started the Great War in the first place. The Turks had only left a few years earlier and were still smarting from the defeat. If the Central Powers ended up winning the war, another conflict in the Balkans was almost inevitable, especially if the French and British were forced out.
Again only my opinion, but it would not take much to convince the Turks to move on the A-H southern flank.

[Peter89]

What if the Ottoman Empire took a step back in the late summer of 1916?
Realizing that the war could drag on for years and that their German Allies could not spare much to help them, they decide to change sides.
Austria-Hungary was a past and potentially future adversary just as much as Russia, France and the UK were.

So what do they get? Potentially, relief from the UK and France stirring up local rebellions.

The Turks needn't supply a lot in the way of troops or material to the Allies. Just not attack them and allow free passage to Russia before it was too late to help them. This would also free a lot of troops and supplies for the Western Front.

Any thoughts on this?

The A-H Empire was far from being an adversary, their common enemies were on the Balkans.

Ottomans and A-H were rivals for influence in the Balkans either by alliance or occupation. Conflict there with A-H had started the Great War in the first place. The Turks had only left a few years earlier and were still smarting from the defeat. If the Central Powers ended up winning the war, another conflict in the Balkans was almost inevitable, especially if the French and British were forced out.
Again only my opinion, but it would not take much to convince the Turks to move on the A-H southern flank.

The A-H Empire had serious troubles with keeping Bosnia and other Southern Slavic territories; the Turks could not do it at all. I don't see how either of these powers could re/establish their rule over the Balkans. The A-H Empire faced serious inner problems already, as about 25% of its population wanted to cede from the country and 25% demanded political rights immediately.

[nuyt]

Well for one thing the Ottomans weren't in the war at the beginning. And it took several huge battles for both sides to realize it would go on for some time.
The failure of that Gallipoli campaign was what would prompt the Allies to try to lure Turkey to their side.

The Ottomans entered the war on the Central Powers side in Oct 1914 by attacking Russia, or doesn't that count? In 1915 they sent lots of troops to fight on the various fronts in Eastern Europe, still on the Centrals' side.

The British gave Constantinople and the Dardanelles away on paper to the Russians in 1915 and annulled their treaties with the Ottomans so they could grab parts of the Arabian Pen. Then they suffered a crushing defeat at Gallipoli and only after that disaster you want them to try to turn the Sultan? Perfidious Albion, no chance!

So try again turning them before, please.

[maltesefalcon]

What if the Ottoman Empire took a step back in the late summer of 1916?
Realizing that the war could drag on for years and that their German Allies could not spare much to help them, they decide to change sides.
Austria-Hungary was a past and potentially future adversary just as much as Russia, France and the UK were.

So what do they get? Potentially, relief from the UK and France stirring up local rebellions.

The Turks needn't supply a lot in the way of troops or material to the Allies. Just not attack them and allow free passage to Russia before it was too late to help them. This would also free a lot of troops and supplies for the Western Front.

Any thoughts on this?

The A-H Empire was far from being an adversary, their common enemies were on the Balkans.

Ottomans and A-H were rivals for influence in the Balkans either by alliance or occupation. Conflict there with A-H had started the Great War in the first place. The Turks had only left a few years earlier and were still smarting from the defeat. If the Central Powers ended up winning the war, another conflict in the Balkans was almost inevitable, especially if the French and British were forced out.
Again only my opinion, but it would not take much to convince the Turks to move on the A-H southern flank.

The A-H Empire had serious troubles with keeping Bosnia and other Southern Slavic territories; the Turks could not do it at all. I don't see how either of these powers could re/establish their rule over the Balkans. The A-H Empire faced serious inner problems already, as about 25% of its population wanted to cede from the country and 25% demanded political rights immediately.

Agreed it was a forlorn hope, but there was still potential that one or both would try to expand their empires. And FWIW the war was basically started when A-H mobilized against Serbia. I'm sure if things would have gone better for the Hapsburgs on that venture they would have stayed there.

[maltesefalcon]

Well for one thing the Ottomans weren't in the war at the beginning. And it took several huge battles for both sides to realize it would go on for some time.
The failure of that Gallipoli campaign was what would prompt the Allies to try to lure Turkey to their side.

The Ottomans entered the war on the Central Powers side in Oct 1914 by attacking Russia, or doesn't that count? In 1915 they sent lots of troops to fight on the various fronts in Eastern Europe, still on the Centrals' side.

The British gave Constantinople and the Dardanelles away on paper to the Russians in 1915 and annulled their treaties with the Ottomans so they could grab parts of the Arabian Pen. Then they suffered a crushing defeat at Gallipoli and only after that disaster you want them to try to turn the Sultan? Perfidious Albion, no chance!

So try again turning them before, please.

FFS, I said the Ottomans were not in the war at the beginning. Which is July 1914. Not November. And certainly not 1915.

[nuyt]

Who said November? The Ottomans started hostilities in October 1914, three months late, but signed a secret pact with Germany on July 30th 1914. And after they tried in vain to ally themselves with the UK. So they were turned down by the Brits, stabbed in the back by the Brits and attacked by the Brits in a period of two years before your miracle. Who's FFS?