IAS Talking Points Seminar: Ottoman-German Propaganda in World War I

On 2 August 1914, the Ottoman Empire and the German Empire agreed on an alliance, and the Ottoman Empire officially entered into World War I on 29 October 1914 as one of the Central Powers. In November, Jihad was proclaimed by the Ottoman Sultan. The Ottoman and German governments published pamphlets, leaflets, and journals to mobilize Muslims in India, Egypt, and other dependencies of the allies. They aimed to incite mutiny among native populations in their armies, foster Pan-Islamism, or create pro-German sentiments. While some of the propaganda materials invited Moslems to holy war, others used the Caliphate and the Ottoman Empire as a bridge to reach the Muslims. This paper examines anti-British propaganda to mobilize Muslims and challenge British policies and designs in regards to Near East and India through pamphlets and leaflets from the National Archives and the British Library.

Speaker

Dr Ceren Uçan

(Assistant Professor at Dokuz Eylul University & IAS Visiting Research Fellow)

Respondents

Professor Heather Jones

(History Department, UCL)

Associate Professor Ali Coşkun Tunçer

(History Department, UCL)