All along, the story is interwoven with the drama surrounding german efforts to complete the berlin to baghdad railway, the weapon designed to win the war and assure german hegemony. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the baghdad railway embodied germanys abortive attempt at creating a sphere of influence in the muslim middle east by establishing a rail connection between its eastern european hinterland and the persian gulf, regarded by the british as a major defence outpost for their indian colony. Pdf the berlin baghdad railway and the ottoman empire. The berlinbaghdad express, by sean mcmeekin the independent. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. Pdf the impact of baghdadberlin railway on britains. Pdf the berlin baghdad express download full pdf book. From the perspective of berlin, the railway was a way to bypass the suez canal. The line runs from istanbul, turkey, to basra, iraq. The centrepiece of this endeavour was the famous berlinbaghdad railway, designed to connect the german capital with the ottoman provinces in. The records of the government of india on the berlin baghdad railway question volume 5 issue 1 ravinder kumar. The ottoman emperor, abdul hamid ii, meanwhile, saw the railway as a means to bolster crumbling ottoman control of arabia. Funding and engineering was mainly provided by german empire banks and companies, which in the 1890s had built the anatolian railway anatolische eisenbahn connecting istanbul, ankara and konya.
Of the various issues which confronted europe at the outbreak of the war in 1914, some thought the bagdad railway was the largest single contributing factor. He became a prisoner of war in turkey and had to work. In 1892 germany made the triple alliance with austriahungary and italy, thus creating a centred territorial bloc in europe. Pdf the impact of baghdadberlin railway on britains nautical. The berlinbaghdad railway would have linked germany with her new african colonies, and the trade of goods and agricultural products would benefit from a port on the persian gulf. In 1889, a group of german industrialists and bankers, led by deutsche bank, secured a concession from the ottoman government to build a railway through anatolia. History of the baghdad railway, on the comprehensive trains of turkey website.
Pdf the importance of the berlinbaghdad and hejaz railways for. The ottoman empire and germanys bid for world power, 18981918 by sean mcmeekin. When completed, the railway would integrate the german and ottoman empires and counter the power of their respective rivals, britain and russia. Spurned by a handful of german agents in world war i this group sought to bring about a global jihad from north africa to afghanistan. The berlinbaghdad railway and the ottoman empire by murat. Completion of the baghdad railway would have connected berlin and baghdad, from where the germans attempted to establish a port at the persian gulf. Baghdad railway, major rail line connecting istanbul with the persian gulf region. Traditionally dependent on flourmilling and brickyards, the province expanded with the building of a railway workshops in 1894 for work on the berlinbaghdad railway. That means each of baghdads 7,216,040 residents has an average of 1. The berlinbaghdad railway and the ottoman empire bloomsbury. Eskisehir was also the site of turkeys first aviation industry aeronautical supply maintenance center and its air base was the command center of turkeys first tactical air force headquarters on natos southern flank during. The baghdad railway, also known as the berlinbaghdad railway was built from 1903 to 1940 to connect berlin with the then ottoman empire city of baghdad.
A map showing the route of the berlinbaghdad railway, june 19. A railway that connected the ottoman city of baghdad to the european city of berlin. Berlin to baghdad railway, 1930s film 99504 youtube. This study focuses on the geopolitical situation in the wider east mediterranean region at the dawn of the 20 th century, based on the analysis of a major infrastructure project, the baghdad railway. The sykespicot agreement of 1916 mentions railways in what is now iraq and its neighbours. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. The concession for the berlinbaghdad railroad gave germany its best. The berlinbaghdad express tells the history of the orient express being built and how this transformed into a german bid to launch a pan arab jihad under the caphalite of the ottoman empire in constantinople. History and photos of the berlin to baghdad project its in german, but. The baghdad railway, also known as the berlin baghdad railway turkish. German technological knowhow and ottoman raw commodities seemed to result in the perfect marriage 37. The berlinbaghdad railway and its peaceful effects on preworld war i anglogerman relations showing 14 of 102 pages in this thesis.
A map showing the route of the berlinbaghdad railway. At first a modest effort in northeastern anatolia, it soon captured the enthusiasm of important men in german and austrian financial, industrial, and political circles. Railway expansion was the great industrial project of the late 19th century, and the great powers built railways at speed and reaped great. Download british documents on the origins of the war 1898 1914 the near east the macedonian problem and the annexation of bosnia 1903 9 or read online books in pdf, epub, tuebl, and mobi format. The importance of the berlinbaghdad and hejaz railways for germany. Media in category baghdad railway station the following 9 files are in this category, out of 9 total. And, when you need to get home there are 19 bus and tram stops, and subway and railway stations in baghdad. Murat ozyuksel shows how the berlinbaghdad railway became a symbol of both rising european power and declining ottoman fortunes. Text is available under the creative commons attributionsharealike license.
In other languages this page was last edited on 12 march 2018, at 01. This page was last edited on 5 october 2017, at 00. Media of the berlinbaghdad railway and the ottoman empire. The ottoman empire and germanys bid for world power. The ottoman empire and for free in a convenient format epub, pdf, fb2, mobi. Thinking much like any railroad monopolist, wilhelm wants direct german access to the orient, bypassing the suez canal by way of turkey, but passing through serbia. Was mainly funded by the germans, and wasnt finished in time for wwi. The importance of the berlin baghdad and hejaz railways for germany. Baghdad railway, eastern question, turkey economic conditions 19181960 publisher. In the following years, the baghdad railway attracted an increasing number of. The impact of baghdadberlin railway on britains nautical and commercial interests in iraqs rivers.
Running through mcmeekins narrative is the story of that halfmad imperial enterprise, namely, the berlintobaghdad railway. Download pdf the berlin baghdad express book full free. When completed, the railway would integrate the german and ottoman empires and counter the. The bagdad line, as foreshadowed in the concession of 1893 to the german anatolian railway company, was to be a continuation of the angora branch, of the anatolian railway, through armenia, entering the euphrates valley from the north and avoiding much expensive mountain tunneling and grading. The construction of a railway line from berlin to baghdad was a cornerstone of germanys grab for world power in the years leading up to the first world war.
As we have seen, germanys connection to this crisis is unexpectedly profound but it is also entirely literala chain of buildings, rails, and human drama linking berlin and baghdad and all points between. The berlintobagdad railway and how it led to the great war somerwil, katie ayrton on. Baghdad central station in 2005 photo by mark hemphill commuter rail trains running in baghdad to relieve traffic jams. The berlin baghdad express available for download and read online in other formats. Work on the first phase of the railway, which involved an extension of an existing line between haidar pasha and ismid to ankara, was begun in 1888 by the ottoman empire with german financial assistance. In 1903 imperial germany, under kaiser wilhelm ii, began to construct a railway which would connect berlin to the ottoman city of baghdad, and project german power all the way to the persian gulf.
Us marines in iraq, 2003 basrah, baghdad and marines. Berlinbaghdad railway, financed by a consortium under the leadership of deutsche bank. Before world war one, when suzeranity in the near east was a game played by europes empires, imperial germany launched a gambit. The railway was funded and built by the german empire, with the cooperation of the ottoman empire, to link berlin with the ottoman empire city of baghdad with a railway line passing through what are now turkey, syria and iraq. The berlin baghdad railway and the outbreak of world war. The berlinbaghdad express by sean mcmeekin, 9780141047652, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. The berlintobaghdad railway is meant to be the imperial backbone of the german mitteleuropa project, a proposed new economic rearrangement of the world that has emerged as a primary german war aim. Posts about berlinbaghdad railway written by petercrawford2011.
Germany had sought strong economic ties with the ottomans as a way to develop potentially vast new markets for exporting german industrial goods. The baghdad railway was a project grand in conception and sweeping in scope. The berlintobagdad railway and how it led to the great war. Baghdad railway, railroad of international importance linking europe with asia minor and the middle east. The author concentrates on the role and construction of the berlinbaghdad railway project that was designed to allow germany to penetrate the middle east.
1088 829 963 19 1095 560 569 1045 1468 176 996 813 595 1306 262 1405 612 80 1248 1345 1311 1426 101 1018 428 1443 697 42 1336 975 324 581 714 367 373