2025/07/03 by Somer Alp Şimşeker, Mustafa Yeni · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Intelligence, Security, War Strategy #World Wars: History, Literature, and Impact #Historical Turkish Studies
paper · doi:10.1080/00253359.2025.2527479
openalex publication_date 2025/07/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/13
During the First World War, the Ottoman Empire recognized that its existence was significantly contingent upon its control of maritime domains. The empire understood that effective intelligence gathering and the prevention of espionage were essential prerequisites for maintaining this control. Consequently, the Second Branch (Intelligence) of the General Staff was charged with this critical responsibility. Following the declaration of war, the Second Branch expanded its mandate beyond mere military intelligence collection to encompass counterespionage, propaganda, censorship and naval intelligence. To fulfil these responsibilities, the branch prepared and disseminated a substantial array of reports derived from a variety of institutional and open sources. The legal foundation for this broadening of duties was established through the implementation of martial law, which conferred upon the military a decision-making authority within the Empire. This article assesses the pivotal role of the Second Branch in naval intelligence, alongside its counter-espionage practices targeting maritime vessels, thereby illuminating a previously neglected aspect of intelligence operations within Ottoman historiography.