the beginnings of ottoman-german partnership - Bilkent University

Germany in order to help survive the Empire whereas Germany tried to maximize its
economic dominance and benefits in the Ottoman Empire without an actual
commitment for an alliance. After the alliance the Ottoman Empire, while continuing
its previous goal turned out to be a German ally, served for the ambitious and
adventurous goals of Enver Paşa and his colleagues. Germany, on the other side, still
not fully committed, agreed to ally the Ottoman Empire for its political and military
needs.
The Russian threat and the Baghdad Railroad Project were the two
important factors, which led to a diplomatic rapprochement between Germany and
the Ottoman Empire. Russia had been the Ottomans’ most dangerous enemy since
the early years of the eighteenth century. Prussia had helped the Ottoman Empire
considerably during that century since it felt that a powerful Russia on its eastern
border would threaten its security. The Ottoman-Russian War of 1877-78 made it
clear that Russia would try its best to dissolve the Ottoman Empire and to occupy the
Straits and Eastern Anatolia. At the Congress of Berlin, as a result largely of
Bismarck's initiatives and arbitration, the Great Powers changed the clauses of the
Russian-imposed Treaty of San Stefano (Ayastefanos), which could have hastened
Ottoman dissolution. Bismarck had tried hard, nonetheless, to keep Germany on
good terms with Russia throughout the years that he served as Chancellor.
Bismarck's resignation from in 1890 opened the way for Wilhelm II to apply an
aggressive foreign policy called Weltpolitik, according to which Germany challenged
the other Great Powers by entering the race of colonization as the primary means of
becoming a world power. Wilhelm II's failure to renew Bismarck’s non-aggression
pact with Russia in 1890 was a clear sign that Bismarck’s cautious policy had been
abandoned. Germany therefore joined the Ottomans in considering Russia as a
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