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
More episodes of Explaining History
- Militarism, Masculinity, and the Making of the American Warrior · June 10, 2026 · 43 min
- Adoption, Colonialism, and the Korean War · May 28, 2026 · 35 min
- The Shortest History of Scotland – Nation, Union, and the Rise of Nationalism · May 20, 2026 · 35 min
- Trump and Nixon in Beijing - an instructive comparison · May 19, 2026 · 31 min
- Master of Lies – Anthony Blunt, the Cambridge Spy Who Changed the Course of World War II · May 13, 2026 · 40 min
- The Neocons Admit Defeat in Iran · May 11, 2026 · 26 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Explaining History podcast page.