The line runs from istanbul, turkey, to basra, iraq. 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. There are lots of maps of iraq at the general libraries, university of texas at austin, website, including one of baghdad in 1944, showing railways and a train ferry, and one showing. 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. Encyclopedia of the age of imperialism, 18001914, volumes. Efforts to westernizesince the late 1700s, several ottoman rulers had seen the need for reform and looked to the west for ideas. The baghdad railway was a project grand in conception and sweeping in scope. Berlinbaghdad railway the great war 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. A german police officer talks to a young refugee as he waits for a bus outside the central railway station in munich.
In 1902 the ottoman government granted a german firm the concession to lay new track. German penetration into the ottoman empire through baghdad. They built railroads, improved education, and hired europeans to train a modern military. Funding and engineering was mainly provided by german empire banks and companies, which in the 1890s had built the anatolian railway anatolische. The construction of the baghdad railway and its impact on angloturkish relations, 190219 pdf.
May 24, 2016 a lecture by eyyep murat ozyuksel, manoogian simone foundation visiting scholar, university of michigan. The berlin baghdad railway and the outbreak of world war one. The train that disappeared into history is the story of the railway that the germans were building from constantinople modern istanbul to baghdad just before the first world war. Iraqturkey railway link reopens deutsche banks commitment in the mena region is more than a century old, beginning with the banks financing of the construction of the baghdad railway. Now she aspired to build a berlinbaghdad railway the route is shown. The baghdad railway, its completion delayed for 18 years by economic attacks, strugged to be a contributing factor to the turcogerman military forces in the region. Railway directory 2001 has this to say about iraqi republic railways. Two ge 70 ton locomotives were used to perform switching in the mill. Germany began building the berlin to baghdad railway a century ago, hoping to open a route through turkey to the gulf. The berlinbaghdad express tells the fascinating story of how germany exploited ottoman panislamism in order to destroy the british empire, then the largest islamic power in the world.
Struggle for eurasia after the cold war berlin bagdad, berlin herat, berlin pekin not heard as mere words, but visualized on the mental relief map involve for most anglosaxons a new mode of thought, lately and imperfectly introduced among us by the rough. Railway construction in iraq was begun in 1912 as part of the projected berlin istanbul baghdad railway. The berlin baghdad 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. A railway that connected the ottoman city of baghdad to the european city of berlin. In 1886, sultan abd u lhamit ii, desirous of greater economic control over his empire, proposed a railway from the bosporus to the persianarabian gulf. Was mainly funded by the germans, and wasnt finished in time for wwi.
A map showing the route of the berlinbaghdad railway, june 19. The line between baghdad and hsaiba on the syrian border was compled in 1983, and the haditha kirkuk line opened in 1987. Mcmeekin examines the germans bid for world power in the middle east, utilizing jihadist propoganda against british, french and russian muslimmajority areas to try and. A lecture by eyyep murat ozyuksel, manoogian simone foundation visiting scholar, university of michigan. Friedrich sarre and the discovery of seljuk anatolia. A map showing the route of the berlin baghdad railway, june 19. German technological knowhow and ottoman raw commodities seemed to result in the perfect marriage 37. Apr 27, 2015 27 april 1915 berlin to baghdad today, the baghdad railway bridge crossing the euphrates river near jerablus station see above is pronounced open for traffic. This in turn could provide direct access to middle east oil, and the new german railway would bypass the suez canal which opened in 1869. The centrepiece of this endeavour was the famous berlinbaghdad railway, designed to connect the german capital with the ottoman provinces in mesopotamia, and eventually the persian gulf.
Constructed of wooden piles sunk thirty feet below the riverbed using special sheet steel cofferdams, the bridge will later be improved with masonry piers and ten steel girder spans. 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. This page was last edited on 5 october 2017, at 00. The berlin baghdad railway and the outbreak of world war. Baghdad railway, major rail line connecting istanbul with the persian gulf region.
Haydarpasha was designed to be a flagship station of the beloved berlin to baghdad railway of kaiser wilhelm ii. The ottoman empire and germanys bid for world power, by sean mcmeekin, is an interesting look at turcogerman relations prior to, and during, wwi. It was further intended, by reason of the kilometer guarantees, the forestry, mining and other rights. Berlin to baghdad railway, 1930s film 99504 youtube. The ottoman emperor, abdul hamid ii, meanwhile, saw the railway as a means to bolster crumbling ottoman control of arabia.
The detailed map of the iraqi railway network pdf, 7kb from the united nations joint logistsics centre used with permission. 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. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. Operations were held up for several years by the international pressure and by engineering di. Berlinbaghdad railway article about berlinbaghdad railway. In 1888 and again in 1893, the sultan had assured the anatolian railway company that it should have priority in the construction of any railway to baghdad. While this would already cover a distance of four thousand kilometres, there were definite plans to prolong it to bombay in british india, on which. 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. Traditionally dependent on flourmilling and brickyards, the province expanded with the building of a railway workshops in 1894 for work on the berlin baghdad railway. The current refugee crisis taking place across europe is playing out on the railways, as it has before.
Understanding the chinese onebeltoneroad mackinder redux. Industrialization, imperial germany and the middle east murat ozyuksel railway expansion was the great industrial project of the late 19th century, and the great powers built railways at speed and reaped great commercial benefits. The berlin to baghdad railroad would be the link to the east to offset the suez canal and there began actual increase of german influence and pressure in the balkans and in turkey. 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. The importance of the berlinbaghdad and hejaz railways for germany. This german concept was more than just a railway line. 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. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Berlin mills railway northern new england railroads page 26 feb. Throughout the war, track was laid and new spurs were planned. The project would give germans access to rich iraqi oil fields as well as bypass the britishcontrolled suez canal. The centrepiece of this endeavour was the famous berlin baghdad railway, designed to connect the german capital with the ottoman provinces in mesopotamia, and eventually the persian gulf.
Berlinbaghdad railway, financed by a consortium under the leadership of deutsche bank. The berlinbaghdad express, by sean mcmeekin the independent. Promoter of german economic expansion and the berlinbaghdad railway in. Patricia blessing friedrich sarre and the discovery of seljuk anatolia 3 within the context of its time, when the german empire and the ottoman empire were in close contact over the construction of the baghdad railway, and negotiations over cultural artefacts often ended favourably for german museums.
In 1892 germany made the triple alliance with austriahungary and italy, thus creating a centred territorial bloc in europe. Known as the berlintobaghdad railway, it was to be a panrailway which would run from berlin, or rather the port of hamburg, all the way to baghdad and then on to basra and the persian gulf. Promoter of german economic expansion and the berlin. A map showing the route of the berlinbaghdad railway, june. After the british invasion of 1914, basra baghdad was built with surplus metre gauge equipment from india, and iraq has a similar length now of both gauges. May 03, 2017 history repeats itself and switches directions.
Struggle for eurasia after the cold war berlinbagdad, berlinherat, berlinpekin not heard as mere words, but visualized on the mental relief map involve for most anglosaxons a new mode of thought, lately and imperfectly introduced among us by the rough. The baghdad railway, also known as the berlin baghdad railway turkish. Of the various issues which confronted europe at the outbreak of the war in 1914, some thought the bagdad. Here the german emperors weltpolitik first took concrete form, seeking to unite east and west, asia and europe, and put imperial germany firmly on the path to. Meanwhile the young turks harnessed themselves to german military might to avenge turkeys hereditary enemy, russia. Pdf the berlin baghdad express download full pdf book. However, as he photographed the trains environs near the syrian border, he was picked up.
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. 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. This is the plotline of john buchans novel greenmantle, and of sean mcmeekins recent book about the berlinbaghdad railway seen, then, as an artery along which the blood of. 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. 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. Railway construction began in iraq in 1902, part of the berlin baghdad project, seen as a standard gauge through route. Baghdad railway article about baghdad railway by the. The jubilant mood at railway stations like that in munich are precious yet fragile. A map showing the route of the berlinbaghdad railway. Baghdad railway, railroad of international importance linking europe with asia minor and the middle east. Sultan abdul hamid favored germany because of its lack of a long imperial tradition and its geographic distance from the ottoman empire. The baghdad railway, built from 1903 to 1940, was planned to connect the ottoman empire cities of konya and bagdad with a new 1,600 kilometres 990 mi line through modernday turkey, syria and iraq. Archaeology and intrigue in the middle east from wilhelm ii to hitler en ligne. The berlinbaghdad railway, also known as the baghdad railway turkish.
The following 9 files are in this category, out of 9 total. Baghdad railway article about baghdad railway by the free. The berlinbaghdad railway runs like a thread through the whole calamitous tale. Jun 02, 2011 berlin baghdad railway, 1903 casus belli iraq the germancontrolled baghdad railway company gains permission from the ottoman to build a railway from konya, turkey to baghdad, iraq. 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. Germany had sought strong economic ties with the ottomans as a way to develop potentially vast new markets for exporting german industrial goods. 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. They reorganized the bureaucracy and system of tax collection. The baghdad railway, also known as the berlinbaghdad railway turkish.
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