re: #353 Dark_Falcon

Yes, they should have. They should have made an effort to keep the Ottomans neutral. And considering the losses that it took to big down the “Sick Man of Europe,” it would have been worth it. How many British Troops could have been spared if they weren’t fighting the Ottomans?

The fall of the Ottoman Empire has left us with the wreck of a region we have today. Even an Ottoman Empire that would have held just what they had in 1914 would have resulted in a major rebound for the Empire. Hell, go back to “What if Murad V had held on” and you are likely talking of an Ottoman Empire still present in the Balkans.

Abdulhamid II hijacked the Tanzimat reforms and created the first modern-style dictatorship. And his demagoguery led to the brutality in the Balkans that led to the withdrawal from the Balkans. Albana paid a heavy price for this, the the Serbians tearing away Kosovo and Presevo Valley, and Greece took Northern Epirus. Serbia also took portions of Albania now in Macedonia, but Macedonia treats their Albanians well. Contrast this to Kosovo and the Presevo Valley. Personally, I think both territories should become part of Albania once again.