At the outbreak of the Great War (WWI) what gift did Germany give to the Ottoman Empire as an attempt to bring them under their military umbrella?
A. Saudi Arabia
B. 100 air craft
C. 2 ships
D. Boxes of beads
At the outbreak of war, the British seized two battleships constructed for the Ottoman Empire which were still in British shipyards, while also refusing to refund payment made on the vessels. In response, Germany made a gift of two ships, the battlecruiser SMS Goeben and the light cruiser SMS Breslau, as replacements. While still operated by their German crews, these ships, renamed Yavuz Sultan Selim and Midilli respectively, became the backbone of the Ottoman navy. Through possession of the Goeben, the Ottoman Empire controlled the most powerful ship in the Black Sea