Imperial Government of the Ottoman Empire
Encyclopedia
The Imperial Government of the Ottoman Empire was the government structure added to the Ottoman governing structure
during the Second Constitutional Era
. The Committee of Union and Progress
(CUP) was in power between 1908 and 1918. In this period, most of the ministers were also from the CUP.
The imperial government was composed of:
The initial contact was established during the Balkan Wars
by Grand Vizier
Said Halim Pasha
and Minister of War Ahmet Izzet Pasha. Kaiser
Wilhelm II sent General Goltz’s mission, which served two periods in Turkey within two years (8 months total).
The German mission was accredited from 27 October 1913 to 1918. General Otto Liman von Sanders
, previously commander of the 22nd Division, was assigned by the Kaiser to Constantinople
. Germany considered an Ottoman-Russian war to be imminent, and Liman von Sanders was a general with excellent knowledge of the Russian armed forces. The Ottoman Empire was undecided about which side to take in a future war involving Germany, Britain and France. The 9th article of the German Military Mission stated that in case of a war the contract would be annulled.
State organisation of the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire developed a highly advanced organisation of state over the centuries. Even though it had a very centralized government with the Sultan as the supreme ruler, it had an effective control of its provinces and inhabitants, as well as its officials. Wealth and rank wasn't necessarily...
during the Second Constitutional Era
Second Constitutional Era (Ottoman Empire)
The Second Constitutional Era of the Ottoman Empire began shortly after Sultan Abdülhamid II restored the constitutional monarchy after the 1908 Young Turk Revolution. The period established many political groups...
. The Committee of Union and Progress
Committee of Union and Progress
The Committee of Union and Progress began as a secret society established as the "Committee of Ottoman Union" in 1889 by the medical students İbrahim Temo, Abdullah Cevdet, İshak Sükuti and Ali Hüseyinzade...
(CUP) was in power between 1908 and 1918. In this period, most of the ministers were also from the CUP.
The imperial government was composed of:
Ministers of War
- Mahmud Shevket Pasha from January 12, 1910 to July 9, 1912
- Hurşit Pasha from July 9, 1912 to July 29, 1912
- Nazim Pasha from July 29, 1912 to January 22, 1913
- Mahmud Shevket Pasha January 23, 1913 to June 11, 1913
- Ahmed Izzet PashaAhmed Izzet PashaAhmed Izzet Pasha was an Ottoman general in World War I. He was also one of the last grand viziers of the Ottoman Empire, and its last minister of Foreign Affairs.He was born in Bitola Macedonia into an Albanian family. His father was prominent civil servant of the area...
June 18, 1913 to October 5, 1913 - Curuksulu Mahmud Pasha 5 October 1913 – 3 January 1914)
- Enver Pasha from January 3, 1914 to October 4, 1918
- Ahmed Izzet Pasha from October 14, 1918 to November 11, 1918
- Abdullah PashaAbdullah PashaAbdullah Pasha or Abdullah Kölemen was an Ottoman general in the First Balkan War, notable as the Ottoman commander in the Battle of Kirk Kilisse in 1912, the Battle of Lule Burgas, and the Battle of Adrianople in which the Ottoman forces were defeated by the Bulgarians.-External links:* * * * *...
from November 11, 1918 to December 19, 1918 - Djevad PashaCevat ÇobanliCevat Çobanlı was a military commander of the Ottoman Army, War Minister of the Ottoman Empire and a general of Turkish Army.-Family and schools:...
from December 19, 1918 – January 13, 1919
War Council
Chiefs of General Staff- Ahmed Izzet PashaAhmed Izzet PashaAhmed Izzet Pasha was an Ottoman general in World War I. He was also one of the last grand viziers of the Ottoman Empire, and its last minister of Foreign Affairs.He was born in Bitola Macedonia into an Albanian family. His father was prominent civil servant of the area...
from August 15, 1908 to January 1, 1914 - Enver Pasha from January 3, 1914 to October 4, 1918
- Ahmed Izzet Pasha October 4, 1918 to November 3, 1918
- Djevad PashaCevat ÇobanliCevat Çobanlı was a military commander of the Ottoman Army, War Minister of the Ottoman Empire and a general of Turkish Army.-Family and schools:...
from November 3, 1918 to December 24, 1918 - Fevzi PashaFevzi ÇakmakMustafa Fevzi Çakmak was a Turkish soldier , politician. Minister of War of the Ottoman Empire, National Defence Minister, Prime minister of Ankara government, the second Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Grand National Assembly and the first Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of...
from December 24, 1918 to May 14, 1919 - Djevad Pasha from May 14, 1919 to August 2, 1919
- Hadi Pasha from August 2, 1919 to September 12, 1919
- Fuad Pasha from September 12, 1919 to October 9, 1919
- Djevad Pasha from October 9, 1919 to February 16, 1920
- Shevket Turgut Pasha from February 16, 1920 to April 19, 1920
- Nazif Pasha from April 19, 1920 to May 2, 1920
- Hadi Pasha from May 2, 1920 to May 19, 1920
German Military Mission
The German military mission become the third most important command center (Sultan, Minister of War, Head of Mission) for the Ottoman Army.The initial contact was established during the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
by Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
Said Halim Pasha
Said Halim Pasha
Said Halim Pasha , Ottoman Empire Grand Vizier from 1913-17. Born in Cairo, Egypt, he was the grandson of Muhammad Ali of Egypt, "founder of modern Egypt". The "Pasha" in his name is an honorific that translates in English to "Lord", or "Lord Said Halim".He was one of the signers in Ottoman-German...
and Minister of War Ahmet Izzet Pasha. Kaiser
Kaiser
Kaiser is the German title meaning "Emperor", with Kaiserin being the female equivalent, "Empress". Like the Russian Czar it is directly derived from the Latin Emperors' title of Caesar, which in turn is derived from the personal name of a branch of the gens Julia, to which Gaius Julius Caesar,...
Wilhelm II sent General Goltz’s mission, which served two periods in Turkey within two years (8 months total).
The German mission was accredited from 27 October 1913 to 1918. General Otto Liman von Sanders
Otto Liman von Sanders
Generalleutnant Otto Liman von Sanders was a German general who served as adviser and military commander for the Ottoman Empire during World War I.-Biography:...
, previously commander of the 22nd Division, was assigned by the Kaiser to Constantinople
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. Germany considered an Ottoman-Russian war to be imminent, and Liman von Sanders was a general with excellent knowledge of the Russian armed forces. The Ottoman Empire was undecided about which side to take in a future war involving Germany, Britain and France. The 9th article of the German Military Mission stated that in case of a war the contract would be annulled.