Total war and Ottoman military intelligence, 1914-1918: An inquiry into its expanding tasks through intelligence reports

2024/08/07 by Somer Alp Şimşeker · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Intelligence, Security, War Strategy #Military History and Strategy #World Wars: History, Literature, and Impact

paper · doi:10.1080/16161262.2024.2389371

openalex publication_date 2024/08/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/15

Abstract

Domestic politics and the conditions of the Total War led the Ottoman ruling elite to expand the workload of the Intelligence Section of the Ottoman General Staff during the First World War. Originally established as a military intelligence organization, the Second Branch dealt with foreign intelligence, but became increasingly involved in domestic security, propaganda, and censorship during 1914–18. This article examines the variety of tasks of the Second Branch. It introduces the practice of reporting and disseminating intelligence within and beyond the Ottoman armed forces. By doing so, the article aims to explain organizational change in military intelligence under wartime conditions.

Discussions

• Interesting paper on the Ottoman military #intelligence in #WW1. Added to the reading list! doi.org/10.1080/1616... [bsky, 8 points, 0 comments]

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