EPISODE · Sep 12, 2025 · 9 MIN
What if the Ottomans Won World War I? | What if? Series
from Fine Print: A History and Current Affairs Podcast · host Shreya Deo
In this alternate history deep-dive, Fine Print asks: what if the sick man of Europe had triumphed in World War I? Would the Ottoman Empire still rule over the Middle East? Could Istanbul have become a 21st-century superpower capital? We unpack the ripple effects—no Balfour Declaration, no modern Turkey, and perhaps no Israel. From oil politics to pan-Islamic diplomacy, we explore the fragile threads of empire, faith, and geography. Tune in as we peel back the layers of forgotten treaties, colonial ambitions, and the legacy of a world that almost was.
What this episode covers
In this alternate history deep-dive, Fine Print asks: what if the sick man of Europe had triumphed in World War I? Would the Ottoman Empire still rule over the Middle East? Could Istanbul have become a 21st-century superpower capital? We unpack the ripple effects—no Balfour Declaration, no modern Turkey, and perhaps no Israel. From oil politics to pan-Islamic diplomacy, we explore the fragile threads of empire, faith, and geography. Tune in as we peel back the layers of forgotten treaties, colonial ambitions, and the legacy of a world that almost was.
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What if the Ottomans Won World War I? | What if? Series
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