Re-elected in late 1934 Cecil's Conservative government begins 1935 with a declaration of war against the Ottoman Empire and an invasion of Southern Palestine coinciding with an Arab advance into Trans-Jordania from the Hejaz. Arab forces in Syria unite with those from Arabia and lay siege to Damascus. Trouble erupts once again in Southern Mesopotamia
In Berlin there is a political impasse between the government of xxx and the Supreme Command under the venerable Field Marshal August Von Mackensen. Mackensen seeks to advance German policy with regard to the long-term requirements decided in the previous year's series of top-level meetings. With Greece and Bulgaria at war with the Ottoman Empire the choice is now between supporting the Turks and losing the Balkans or supporting their Balkan allies and taking action to secure as much influence within the Ottoman successor states as possible. When Admralty Head Von Reuter adds his voice to Mackensen's Imperial Chancellor xxx backs down. The battle for the future of German policy in the Near East has been fought and won.
Kemal leads a coup d'etat in Ankara over-throwing the panic-stricken and paralysed government and declaring himself 'Regent' for the besieged Sultan back in Constantinople
Encouraged by German agents the Armenian population of the Southern Caucasus and Eastern Anatolia rebel against the Ottoman Empire. German units from out of Georgia, much-reinforced, and equipped with the latest aircraft advance into Turkish-occupied South Caucasusia. They are supported by Rear Admiral Donitz's German Black Seas Fleet consisting of the three 8"-gunned heavy cruisers Souchon (F), Goeben and Breslau , along with a number of destroyers and attached Ukrainian vessels. This naval force breaks up Turkish attempts to supply its forces by coastal vessels and also lends valuable fire-support to the immediate conflict zone.
Seeing that he can't fight everybody at once Kemal comes to an agreement with the Germans ceding South-Western Caucasia and North-Eastern Anatolia to a new Armenian state, and Baku and South-Eastern Caucasia to a hypotheitical Azeri state under German occupation. German reinforcements ear-marked for a renewed campaign against Turkey involve themselves in the Persian civil war on the side of the Shah
June 1935 sees Constantinople finally fall to the Bulgarians ; the German Empire has signed an agreement with Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria whereby he gains German support for his claim to the ancient city, in return under-taking to allow Greece to annex the Dardanelles and the Anatolian coast as far South as Miletus. The future of the Bosphorus has not been decided ; Bulgarian demands that it be included met with a stiff German reaction and the matter was not pursued.
Greek forces launch their delayed assault on the Asia Minor side of the Dardanelles, supported by long-range artillery from the European side and the guns of several of their major warships.
Italy lands troops at Alexandretta, standing off against French naval units who have been ordered not to interfere.
The British Consul in Ankara, now occupying the position of ambassador to Kemal's government with the fall of Constantinople, attempts to negotiate an understanding whereby the Arabs would gain their independence from the Turks and in return Britain would step in to support Turkey diplomatically in Anatolia. Kemal's government brushes this aside, his deputy Inonu stating that 'diplomacy is words but war is action' ; whilst British support would be welcome the price named is too high and there is no guarantee that Britain, leery of getting into conflict with Germany or her allies, would be able to prove good on her promises.
Learning of the rebuff at Ankara , British Prime Minister Cecil gives the go ahead for military action against the Ottoman Empire. British forces take Gaza and advance on Jerusalem in a joint campaign with the Sherrif of Mecca's army advancing from Trans-Jordania and the Hejaz
Damascus falls to its Arab besiegers
Over-worked in Ankara Kemal suffers a massive heart-attack in late July and dies, being replaced by Inonu who, in an attempt to consolidate his positions orders the army-of-the-Euphrates (as Kemal's force had become known) to drive South against the Italians in Alexandretta.
Bulgarian and Greek forces come face-to-face in Southern Thrace and in the Marmara as Bulgarian efforts to cross the Bosphorus are thwarted by Greek warships patrolling off Constantinople
British and Sherrifian forces take Jerusalem in mid-August after a three-day battle. The Turkish army begins to disintegrate as it retreats Northwards.
Syrian and Arabian Arab forces drive into Lebanon, initiating an Islamic uprising against the Christian community. French warships enter Beirut and secure the harbour as refugees pour towards the coast.
The Army of the Euphrates smashes Italian forces in South-East Anatolia, driving them South into Syria as they pursue and retake Alexandretta despite a rearguard action by Italian marines supported by battleships off the coast. Inonu orders the Army of the Euphrates to push on towards Damascus.
The German naval forces in the Black Sea pass through the Bosphorus and anchor off Constantinople. The German ambassador in Athens makes it clear to King Alexander's government that any Greek offensive action against Bulgarian forces will force Germany to invoke the 1928 secret protocols of the Treaty of Sophia (where Bulgaria had reaffirmed her allegiance to the Central Alliance).
A princeling of the German state of Lippe is 'invited to' Erzerum to take up the crown of Armenia. There remains heavy German presence in the new kingdom .
In Tehran the heir to the Shah overthrows him and proclaims himself Shah of Persia. A more forceful figure he rallies the loyalist factions in the North-West and begins a counter-offensive against the mainly Eastern-based rebels. Germany signs an agreement with the new Shah to cede 'Azeria' including Baku (where German industry and businesses will remain predominant) and the new Shah uses this as a major propaganda coup to rally many of the more apathetic to his cause.
The German general Von Kluge exceeds his brief and enters Southern Mesopotamia as 'Protector of the Marsh Arabs', occupying Basra and establishing a German zone of dominance as far North as Kut.
September 1935 sees the Army of the Euphrates attack the combined Italian-Arab force at Damascus. Poor co-ordination between the Italians and Arabs, coupled with the arrival on the Arabs Southern flank of the remainder of the 'Army of Jerusalem' leads to a heavy defeat. The Italians, a broken dispirited army retreat West towards Beirut whilst the Arabs retreat South-East into Arabia. Damascus is occupied by the Army of the Euphrates.
With Greek and Bulgarian offensives in the West of Anatolia stalled , and Italy rushing reserves to Beirut from the South-Western theatre, Inonu manages to halt the disintegration of the Turkish armies in the West. This new force advances on the Marmara coastline and secures the Asia Minor shore of the Bosphorus. A secondary holding force advances as far as Pergamon in the South-West.
Italian naval units force entry into Beirut under the guns of French battleships. The Italian dreadnoughts are more modern designs and the French can only fall back as they enter the harbour.
By November 1935 there is deadlock in the West and the French and Italians have expanded their zone of protection to the North and South of Beirut. British forces have advanced into Southern Syria , whilst in Persia the Shah's German-supported forces win a major battle against the rebels whose forces begin to disintegrate.
December 1935 sees Inonu, now calling himself President in tacit recognition that the Bulgarian-held Sultan no longer rules in Turkey, make a peace offer to the powers ranged against him.
Britain , with events in India reaching a climax , is keen to agree, whilst Germany, Greece and Bulgaria respond favourably. Italy is in no positon to argue.
January 1936 sees the powers convene in Athens (chosen by the Germans and British). The Treaty of Athens (March 1936) sees the end of what comes to be known as the 'Second Great War' 1933-1936 (also known as the War Of Ottoman Succession in a pun on the wars of earlier centuries - in this case it refers to who would emerge to succeed the empire in governing its territories). The Treaty of Athens is wide-ranging and includes ratification of the German-Turkish and German-Persian agreements :-
- Armenia is recognised as an independent kingdom under a prince of Lippe with its capital at Erzerum and including the South-Western Caucasus and North-Eastern Anatolia
- Azeria including Baku is ceded to the Persian empire of the Shah
- Bulgaria gains Constantinople and Northern and East-Central Thrace.
- Greece gains the Asia Minor coast from the Dardanelles down to Miletus and inland from Smyrna, as well as Southern Thrace with the European Dardanelles
- Italy gains South-Western Anatolia South of Miletus
- The Sheriffian Arabs establish a kingdom with hegemony over the Hejaz, Trans-Jordania and Palestine though Gaza is incorporated into British Egypt.
- The Arabian Arabs gain their independence under the Saudi dynasty, establishing a confederal structure
- France gains Beirut and the lands North and South of the city, as well as the position of official protector of the Levant Catholics
- Southern Mesopotamia is sundered from Turkey as the independent state of Mesopotamia with its capital at Basra and German dominance of the Marsh Arabs government
- Turkey is recognised as the remains of the Ottoman Empire after these losses of territory - ie Asia Minor's shore of the Bosphorus and Marmara, Northern Anatolia as far East as Trebizond , Central Anatolia as far West as Pergamon, Southern Anatolia including Alexandretta, the whole of Kurdistan , Northern Mesopotamia above Kut, Syria and the Northern and Southern Lebanon coast.