Deep-dive into the Armistice of Mudros

By Anonymous -
Arguably one of the most important pacts signed during this time period, the Armistice of Mudros marks the official defeat of the Ottoman Empire. It is signed between the Allies and Ottoman Empire and imposes extremely harsh terms on the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire lost territory to the Allies and also lost control over its core infrastructures such as transportation. This blog will examine how the terms of the Armistice of Mudros instigated the events of the Turkish War of Independence and how both of these events may shape debate during conference.

After the events of the Armistice of Mudros, a large portion of the Ottoman Empire essentially became up for grabs. With many areas declared international territory, the possession of former Ottoman Empire territory became closely dependent who can take over the territory earlier. As a result, members of the Allies moved fast and would often forcibly take over specific areas and crush whatever resistance was present. The Allies had its eyes on Turkey, but the Turkish nationals and specific individuals within the Turkish government wanted independence. Subsequently, The Turkish War of Independence was fought between the Allies that wanted to conquer Turkey and Turkish nationals.

Let's discuss the implications of these two events. First, due to the Armistice of Mudros, the Ottoman Empire essentially became crippled, especially in regards to internal mobility. Therefore, delegates should be aware that, as we advance through these two events, although the Ottoman Empire has an extremely high troop count, mobility is difficult and should be factored when making decisions. Second, the Turkish War of Independence displays the primary objective of the Allies during this time, which is to obtain more land from the fallen Ottoman Empire. Delegates representing the Allies should keep this in mind.

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