Affiliation:
1. Independent academic, Brisbane, Australia
Abstract
With the extension of the Berlin-Baghdad Railway and Germany's search first for naval coaling and later for radio station locations, the strategic usefulness of footholds in the Persian Gulf region came to the fore. Reliable communication with the African colonies and warships of the East Asian Cruiser Squadron in the expanse of the Indian Ocean was essential. With the allied Ottoman Empire regional expansion aimed to create a wedge to split the British Empire. Disruptive activities in Persia and Afghanistan aimed to pressure India and distract Britain. This places German strategy in the region in a significant world-political context leading up to the First World War.