WW1 Map Activity

World War I: Student Journal Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire 2 1913

There is a war brewing in the North West and there is speculation that an all out war will happen. With allies on my side the central powers and me are looking to regain the lands we lost if a war does break out. By mobilizing my troops I’m hoping my army will be able to keep up with the bigger countries.One plan I have is to make friends with Bulgaria until the last couple years and then hopefully take them over. I will also need to make the idea in Germany’s head that it is their idea to attack Russia, so that I can take the Crimea back from Russia. Hopefully with the help of the central powers I can use them to help me take back some of my lands. 

Ottoman Empire 2 1914

War has started to commence in all of Europe! I know Russia is planning to try to take over my lands. This is the war where we take back the lands that Russia has taken from us over the last 100 years! To know that the central powers have my back I asked Austria Hungary if they would kindly move some of their boats into the Black Sea. This would benefit them in the long run because we would be able to move troops to other countries if the Austrian hungarians needed help defending or fighting any other countries. With this deal under way they gave me an estimate of the boats getting to me by early 1915. With this knowledge I have to start planning out ways to regain everything back. Right now no war has commenced, but only time will tell if or when a war will start.

Ottoman Empire 2 1915

Early 1915: War has begun! Russia is on the move for the East side of my country and Great Britain has told the world that my country is attacking Christians. Sources have told me that Russia is bringing a large army, so I made the decision to move more of my troops over in hopes of winning! Now that war has begun I need to be careful with who I am going to trust. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer! 

Middle of 1915: The mood in my country has been low ever since we lost the Balkan countries in the war against them in 1813. In order to boost morale I have decided to take over Bulgaria when the chance becomes available. With the wars starting I hope I will have enough people to take them over when the chance presents itself to me. Germany has also decided to attack the Allied powers this year. They got information that a British boat is carrying weapons! Not wanting the british to become stronger they attacked and killed British and American passengers.

We also got news recently that we have won the battle in the East against Russia, but they aren’t finished. Intel has just reached us that they are using boats to reach the West side of my country. After that grueling battle I fear that I won’t be able to hold off their army. I’ll have to ask my allies if they could help me.

End of 1915: 

Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria have come to help me defeat Russia in the battle to retain control of the West side of my country! With this help we are bound to win. Russia may have a lot of people, but we all know that they aren’t very strong. 

The battle has finally finished and we have come out victorious! Russia is not very happy with the outcomes of all of the battles this year. They will not stop until they get what they want. This just means we will have to be prepared for whatever they throw at us.

Ottoman Empire 2 1916

It’s been 2 years since this war started, and I’m starting to wonder when it will be over. Germany is declaring war on Russia on their western front and they have requested my help! I gladly agreed because I want to get back the Crimea from Russia. While I sent my troops up there I also got a message that there are no Russian troops in the south of Russia. I’m hoping to help Germany take over all of Russia by pinching them from the bottom while Germany goes in from the side.

The plan has backfired! Many men were killed when we lost the war in the south. The only good outcome was that Germany was able to take over their western border with the help from me and the Austrians. Russia and the Allied powers are now extremely mad.

They are now attacking the North West border of my country and they are coming in at full speed. With this war just beginning I have left my east side vulnerable. I was just barely able to win the North West battle, but lost the eastern battle. Russia now has control over half of my country, the Allied powers were also able to take over Bulgaria. I have confidence that I will be able to regain back my lands soon!

Ottoman Empire 2 1917

The United States is not happy about the death of many American passengers on the Lusitania. They weren’t going to attack until they intercepted the letter that Germany sent to Mexico. They have started to mobilize their troops to help the Allied powers to attack Germany. 

Austria-Hungary has declared war on Italy, but they might not win that fight. I would have helped them, but there was no way for me to get there in time. This was a war they were not guaranteed to win, and they were not victorious. Great Britain has finally taken action against Germany and they were also unsuccessful. After all of these losses the Allies have had you would think that they would stop. 

Russia has decided to try to capture my western front with the help from Greece, Serbia and Romania. They had over 2,000 troops trying to attack me! With a small amount of help from Bulgaria and Austria-Hungary we were able to hold them back, but just barely. The war continues though, in the west Austria-hungary is trying to attack Italy again with the help from Germany. With hope to win on their second try Austria and Germany move in.

Reports have come in saying that the Russians have left my eastern front. This means I can try to reclaim my lost land! I am sending in troops while Russia is distracted by all the war that is going on to the north of me. With this successful infiltration I have regained my land back. This didn’t make the Allies very happy though. 

The British came and started a sea battle against the Austria-Hungarian boats. This is not good for the Central powers because if we lose then the Ottomans won’t be able to move troops to help defend the other Central powers. 

We did not win this battle. This has now turned the war into anyones win because now the Central powers can’t move anything unless we take back Bulgaria from the Allies.

Ottoman Empire 2 1918

The war has now been going on for 4 years. When will it ever end? The Central powers are wanting to make moves on the Balkan countries. We recently had a meeting to try to come up with a plan to take them over. Our plan is to make their troops go after Germany while my troops come in from the bottom. This strategy will only work if the countries send all of their troops to try to defend their land. 

The plan is for Germany to attack ROmania while I come in and attack the allied troops in Bulgaria. This strategy worked in my favor because I got to reclaim the land and because I now have a way to get to Germany if they ever need my help. By taking Bulgaria the moral in my country has boosted ever since we lost the battle in 1913.

The only downfall to our plan was that we knew the Allies would become extremely angry  and would most likely retaliate. They will probably come after me because having control of the dardanelles strait is important because they don’t have to use ships to cross the straight. With the British army coming we had to prepare what little men we had left. 

They have gained control over the straight and over the western side of my country. They killed what little men I had left in a grueling battle. With the war coming to an end Germany made a last minute effort to try and take over France.