Central Powers

Page 5 – Ottoman Empire

Flag

Ottoman Empire flag

1914 Map

Map of Ottoman Empire

Click on map for more detail

General facts

  • Population (1914): 22 million (including 12 million ethnic Turks)
  • Capital: Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul)

Government

  • Head of State:
    • Sultan Mehmed V (April 1909 – July 1918)
    • Sultan Mehmed VI (July 1918 – November 1922)
  • Head of Government: Technically, Prime Minister Sait Halim. In reality the government was dominated by the de facto triumvirate of Enver Pasha (Minister for War), Cemal Pasha (Minister of Marine) and Talât Pasha (Minister of the Interior).

Participation in the War

  • Entered the war: 2 November 1914 (Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire)
  • Ceased hostilities: 30 October 1918 (armistice with the Allies)
  • Ended belligerent status: 10 August 1920 (Treaty of Sèvres signed)

Military forces

Army

  • Peacetime strength 1914: 210,000
  • Reserves 1914: 1,000,000, and 42,000 Jandarma
  • Full mobilisation 1914: 1,250,000
  • Total mobilised during the war: 2,870,000

The Jandarma was a paramilitary force (modelled on French gendarmerie) responsible for guarding the border and internal security duties. It was equipped with rifles and machine guns but not artillery. It was answerable to the Ministry of the Interior.

Navy

  • Peacetime strength 1914: 8000

Fleet (1914)

  • Battleships (pre-Dreadnoughts): 4
  • Battlecruisers: 1 
  • Cruisers: 2
  • Light cruisers: 1
  • Destroyers: 8

This list includes SMS Goeben (battlecruiser) and SMS Breslau (light cruiser), which were ‘transferred' by Germany to the Ottoman Navy in August 1914.

Casualties

Military

  • Dead (all causes): 771,844
  • Wounded: 763,753
  • Total casualties: 1,535,597

See also: Ottoman Empire topic.

How to cite this page

'Ottoman Empire', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/ottoman-empire-facts, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 28-Aug-2014