A Fateful Naval Chase in the Mediterranean
In the tense summer of 1914, as Europe descended into war, the German battlecruiser SMS Goeben and light cruiser SMS Breslau found themselves trapped in the Mediterranean. Pursued relentlessly by the British Mediterranean Fleet under Admiral Archibald Berkeley Milne, the German ships under Admiral Wilhelm Souchon executed a daring escape. Rather than retreating to the Austrian port of Pola as expected, Souchon made the fateful decision to head for Constantinople, arriving triumphantly on August 10, 1914.
This unexpected maneuver caught both allies and enemies by surprise. The Ottoman government, officially neutral but internally divided between pro-German and pro-Entente factions, now faced an impossible dilemma. The powerful Germanophile faction led by War Minister Enver Pasha saw opportunity in the warships’ arrival, while Grand Vizier Said Halim Pasha and Finance Minister Cavid Bey desperately sought to maintain neutrality.
The Diplomatic Chess Game Over Neutrality
What followed was one of history’s most extraordinary naval-political dramas. The Entente powers demanded the German ships leave Ottoman waters within 24 hours or be disarmed. The Ottomans responded with a masterstroke of diplomatic theater – announcing they had “purchased” the German warships for 80 million marks (though no money changed hands). The Goeben became Yavuz Sultan Selim and the Breslau was renamed Midilli, now theoretically part of the Ottoman navy.
This clever fiction allowed the Ottomans to claim the ships were legitimately theirs while maintaining plausible neutrality. British Ambassador Louis Mallet reported to London that the “purchase” was presented as retaliation for Britain’s seizure of two Ottoman dreadnoughts under construction in British shipyards – an act that had infuriated Turkish public opinion.
Behind the scenes, German Ambassador Hans von Wangenheim fumed at being outmaneuvered by Ottoman diplomats. The Germans had hoped the ships’ presence would force Turkey into the war, but instead found themselves trapped in a web of Ottoman delaying tactics and demands for concessions.
The Powder Keg of the Black Sea
For two months, Admiral Souchon chafed under the restrictions of his nominal Ottoman command. Though now technically an Ottoman vice admiral, he remained determined to bring Turkey into the war against Russia. His opportunity came in late October 1914, when Enver Pasha – acting without full cabinet approval – gave Souchon ambiguous orders to conduct “training exercises” in the Black Sea.
On October 29, 1914, Souchon launched surprise attacks on Russian ports at Odessa, Sevastopol, and Novorossiysk. The bombardment was carefully calculated to force Turkey’s hand – either disavow Souchon’s actions and risk German wrath, or embrace them and enter the war. Russian ships were damaged, merchant vessels sunk, and oil storage tanks set ablaze.
The Final Plunge Into War
The attack created an international crisis. Russia demanded the expulsion of all German military personnel from Turkey – a condition Enver Pasha refused. After days of tense deliberations, the Ottoman government formally declared war on Russia on November 10, 1914, followed by declarations against Britain and France. On November 14, Sheikh ul-Islam Hayri Efendi proclaimed a jihad against the Entente powers from the Fatih Mosque in Constantinople.
The consequences were immediate and far-reaching. The Dardanelles were closed to Allied shipping, cutting Russia off from Mediterranean supply routes. British forces in Egypt now faced the threat of Ottoman invasion. Most significantly, the entry of the Ottoman Empire extended World War I into the Middle East, setting the stage for campaigns that would reshape the region – from Gallipoli to the Arab Revolt.
Legacy of a Naval Gamble
The Goeben incident demonstrates how individual actors and chance events can alter the course of history. Souchon’s daring escape and subsequent actions pulled the Ottoman Empire into a war it might otherwise have avoided. The consequences included:
– The eventual collapse of the 600-year-old Ottoman Empire
– The emergence of modern Turkey under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
– The redrawing of the Middle Eastern map by European powers
– The creation of new strategic realities in the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean that persist to this day
Historians continue to debate whether Ottoman entry into WWI was inevitable or the result of this specific chain of events. What remains clear is that the arrival of two German warships in August 1914 set in motion forces that would transform the Middle East beyond recognition.