Why the Ottomans entered World War IThe Ottoman Empire had been in decline since the 16th century due to economic, intellectual and technological stagnation. Great Britain and France as well as the Russian and Habsburg empires became increasingly involved in Ottoman affairs and competition for political and economic influence in the Ottoman Empire. The turning point came in 1880, when Germany appeared on the scene in an attempt to extend its economic, political and military influence in the Empire. By this time the financial situation of the Ottomans was desperate due to the economic strangulation of the West and on 28 July 1914 a formal proposal for an Ottoman alliance was presented to Germany, which meant that the Ottomans had decided to enter the First World War. The pre-war relationship between the Ottoman Empire and Germany is something that there is no consensus on. There is a divide between those who believe that the predominance of German influence in Istanbul was the reason the Ottomans went to war and those who do not. However, despite Germany's strong economic and financial power in the Ottoman Empire, achieved by increased trade with the empire and in With German investments from 1880 to 1914, Germany did not control the Ottoman economy and other European powers were still equally, if not more, involved in the Empire. We can then begin to examine the reasons why the Ottomans would have freely chosen to go to war as it is unlikely that they were forced into an agreement with Germany. It has been argued that the Ottomans entered World War I because they believed in an alliance with one of the two countries. of that... middle of paper...(in the words of historian Howard M. Sachar) a "stupendous" coup by Berlin, pulling the wool over the eyes of the gullible Ottomans. The Karsh find this exactly wrong; show how Ottoman leaders began talks with Germany to explore an alliance and document the lukewarm reception accorded these talks by many German officials. It was also "by far the most important decision in the history of the modern Middle East", soon leading to the fall of the empire and the emergence of a conflict-ridden order that still prevails today. -------- ------------------------------------------ -------- -----------[1] Trumpener[2] Efraim Karsh and Inari Karsh Empires of the Sand: The Struggle for Mastery in the Middle East, 1789-1923[3 ] Malcolm Yapp The Making of the Modern Near East