About this episode

This episode explores the Ottoman Empire's campaign against Britain during World War I, focusing on their attempt to seize the Suez Canal.

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we examine the opening moves of the Ottoman Empire’s war against Britain – a desperate, audacious campaign to seize the Suez Canal that has been largely forgotten but which revealed the fragility of the British Empire and the resilience of the Ottoman army. At the outbreak of the First World War, the Ottoman Empire saw itself surrounded by enemies: the British in Egypt, the Russians to the north, a hostile Habsburg Empire to the west, and a recently hostile Italy in the Mediterranean. The Young Turk government initially hoped to stay out of the war. But when they looked at Britain, France, and Russia, they saw voraciously hungry powers intent on dismembering their empire. Germany offered a security guarantee – unreliable, but the best available. The German High Command placed a high priority on cutting the Suez Canal. Between August and December 1914, 376 transport ships carried nearly 164,000 Allied troops through the canal. It was the vital artery connecting the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean – the lifeline of Britain’s Asian empire. If the Ottomans could pinch it off, they could deal Britain a mortal blow and perhaps…

People in this episode

Host: Nick Shepley

Topics covered

• Ottoman Empire
• Suez Canal
• World War I
• British Empire
• military strategy

Keywords

• Ottoman Empire
• Suez Canal
• Cemal Pasha
• World War I
• British Empire

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Ottoman Empire

Places: Egypt, Britain, Suez Canal, Istanbul, Germany, Russia, Habsburg Empire, Italy

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