The Great War was a conflict between the Allied
Forces and the Central Powers. The Allied Forces included Great
Britain, France, Russia, Serbia, and eventually the United States.
The Central Powers included Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Turkish
Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.
Turkey was known as the Ottoman Empire before the
Great War. The Ottoman Empire extended from Algeria in the west
to Mesopotamia in the east, but its hold over its territories was
weak. The Ottoman Empire was called the “sick man of Europe.”
Most people believed that it was only a matter of time before one
of the European colonial powers took over the Ottoman Empire.
A group of idealistic military officers known as
the Young Turks had seized control of the Ottoman Empire in a 1908
revolution. The Young Turks decided to join the Great War on the
side of the Central Powers when it seemed that Germany would win
the conflict. The Turks feared two of the Allied Powers. Russia
was north of Turkey and wanted access to a “warm water port.”
All of Russia’s other ports were frozen during the winter
months. The Young Turks feared Russia would conquer part of Turkey
in order to gain access to the Black Sea. Great Britain’s
empire included India, east of oil-rich Mesopotamia. The Young Turks
felt their needs would be best met by joining forces against these
two rivals. Bulgaria also joined the war because it hoped to gain
land from Serbia once the Allies were defeated.
The Great War was a conflict between the Allied Forces and
the Central Powers. The Allied Forces included Great Britain, France,
Russia, Serbia, and eventually the United States. The Central Powers included
Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Turkish Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.
Turkey was known as the Ottoman Empire before the Great
War. The Ottoman Empire extended from Algeria in the west to Mesopotamia
in the east, but its hold over its territories was weak. The Ottoman Empire
was called the “sick man of Europe.” Most people believed
that it was only a matter of time before one of the European colonial
powers took over the Ottoman Empire.
A group of idealistic military officers known as the Young
Turks had seized control of the Ottoman Empire in a 1908 revolution. The
Young Turks decided to join the Great War on the side of the Central Powers
when it seemed that Germany would win the conflict. The Turks feared two
of the Allied Powers. Russia was north of Turkey and wanted access to
a “warm water port.” All of Russia’s other ports were
frozen during the winter months. The Young Turks feared Russia would conquer
part of Turkey in order to gain access to the Black Sea. Great Britain’s
empire included India, east of oil-rich Mesopotamia. The Young Turks felt
their needs would be best met by joining forces against these two rivals.
Bulgaria also joined the war because it hoped to gain land from Serbia
once the Allies were defeated.
