Kaiserreich Documentary [E07] ~ 'Crown and Crescent': Ottoman Empire, Middle-East, Balkans, Bulgaria

大家好 Hello everyone, 欢迎收看Kaiserreich纪录片系列的最新一集 and welcome to another episode of the Kaiserreich Documentary series. 我是帕特里克·J·华纳，是这个架空纪录片项目的配音员 I am Patrick J. Warner, the narrator of this unique fictional documentary project. 在开始今天的放映之前 Before we begin today’s screening, 我想请大家注意一下，本频道（KCC Youtube）正迅速接近十万订阅大关 I would like to point your attention to the fact that the channel is rapidly approaching the 100.000 subscriber milestone. 截至本视频发布之时 As of the publishing of this video, 我们距离这一历史性突破只差 2000 个订

阅 we are only about 2.000 subscribers short of this historic breakthrough. 因此，我请求大家订阅KCC I would therefore like to urge everyone to subscribe to Kaiser Cat Cinema, 按下通知按钮 tap the notification icon, 并对Kaiserreich纪录片项目表示支持 and show their support for the Kaiserreich documentary project. 感谢您的宝贵时间 Thank you for your time, 接下来 and above all, 请尽情欣赏 enjoy the show. 你这是引狼入室，埃及人！ You have brought a wolf inside our house, Egyptians! 舍迈尔山的埃米尔可是奥斯曼皇室的傀儡。 Jabal Shammar is a puppet to the Ottoman throne. 简直就是胡

闹！ This is a farce! 这是在侮辱第一次阿拉伯起义！ An insult to the legacy of the First Arab Rising! 你们怎么还在翻旧账呢，兄弟们 Yet still you blame us for old grievances, brother. 我们这不就来了吗？ We are here, are we not? 难道我们不是和你们站在一起的？ Are we not pledged to your cause!? 利比亚人民也抗议舍迈尔山埃米尔的加入。 Let it be known the houses of Libya too protest making Jabal Shammar a part of this endeavour. 让这群奥斯曼走狗进来是阿拉伯联盟的耻辱！ Having these Ottoman dogs here is a disgrace to the Arab alliance! 我们永远不会忘记你们在世界大战中对阿拉伯大起义的背叛 We will never forget your betray

al during the Arab rising of the Great War. 这下可好，阿拉伯战士就义了 Good, Arab fighters were martyred 而你们却卑躬屈膝地跪在奥斯曼苏丹的脚下！ while you groveled at the Ottoman Sultan’s feet! 这份耻辱不会被轻易遗忘 This shame cannot be undone so easily. 麦加的谢里夫就是因为你们的怯弱才和他那场起义陪葬了！ The Sharif of Mecca and his revolt died due to your cowardice! 麦加的谢里夫死在他打了一场必输的仗 The Sharif of Mecca died because he fought an unwinnable war. 麦加的谢里夫死在他是个白痴！ The Sharif of Mecca died because he was a fool! 肃静！ SILENCE! 兄弟们，你们还不明白吗？ Do you not see, brothers? 外来

帝国主义者们几个世纪来都是这么对我们的 This is how the foreign imperialists have ruled us for centuries. 他们对我们分而治之，让我们的眼中只有部落、家族、家庭 By dividing us. By making us see tribe, house, family, 而我们本应把目光放到一整个大阿拉伯民族上的 where we should have seen a great Arab nation. 埃及也曾在别无选择的情况下忍受过英国的主宰 Even Egypt suffered British rule when there was no other option. 现在我们自由了 Now we are freed, 开罗国王邀请了那些在 1919 年投降的阿拉伯家族 The King of Cairo has invited those Arab houses who surrendered in 1919. 现在是时候我们埋葬这些旧怨，共同面向未来了！ It is time we bury these gri

evances and look together towards the future! 帝国主义的寒冬曾让阿拉伯永无天日 Long and dark it has been, the winter of imperialism in Arabia. 但现在冬去春来，兄弟们 But a new spring has come, brothers. 大英帝国已经完蛋了 The British Empire has collapsed. 德国人和奥斯曼人瓜分它的遗产 Germans and Ottomans squabble over the remains. 在高加索，他们更是公开驳火 In the Caucasus, Turks and Germans fight each other openly. 他们的"联盟"现在就如同废纸 Their ‘alliance’ is worth less than the paper it is set upon now. 工团主义者在我们敌人的边界外高歌猛进 Syndicalists prey upon our enemies’ borders

. 我们的仇敌分身乏术 Our foe is distracted, weakened, 阿拉伯民族的事业从未如此强大 and the Arab cause has never been stronger. 现在我们必须团结一致 Today we must stand united. 我们将用阿拉伯觉醒之矛刺穿苏丹的祸心！ This spear of Arab awakening, we will drive through the black heart of the Sultan! 兄弟们，历史在呼唤你们 History calls upon you all, brothers. 这次不是为了荣耀，不是为了家族 To fight, not for glory, not for house, 而是为了阿拉伯全体人民的自由而战斗！ but for the freedom of all the peoples of Arabia! 柏林无暇关注近东，其影响力分散而又遥远 Berlin is distracted, spread thin, and far away. 这是我们的命定之日！

这是我们的土地！ This is our day! This is our land! 奥斯曼帝国大厦将倾…… The Ottoman Empire will fall without the support… 除非有德意志帝国的帮助！ of the Kaiserreich! 今日，诸多史家仰望地中海，誉之为文明之初源 Today, many historians consider the Mediterranean as the birthplace of civilization itself. 昔日，源自底格里斯河与幼发拉底河的古老帝国，向西方地中海的波涛进发时 When the ancient empires of the Tigris and the Euphrates expanded west, 也开启了一个纵横帝国与代际，社会与技术共融发展的新纪元 they set in motion an era of societal and technological development that would span empires and generations. 东岸的

航者，乘风破浪至地中海各港 Traders from the Orient sailed the Mediterranean ports, 跨越碧波把先进的文献与教化，星星点点地播洒遍地中海 spreading their advanced literature and culture across the seas. 这些黎凡特与巴比伦的文化 These Levantine and Babylonian civilizations 将成为后世霸主盘踞此域时的文化根基 would form the cultural bedrock for the advanced Empires that would later dominate the region. 自亚述与赫梯始，至希腊终于罗马 From the Assyrians and Hittites to the Greeks, and ultimately the Romans, 一众帝国在此大陆交汇之地，兴衰迭起，各领风骚 great Empires rose to rule this wealthy land on the Cro

ssroads of Continents. 然而，帝国的荣光终有消逝之时 However, no Empire could last forever. 罗马帝国亦难逃离覆灭 The Roman Empire would eventually break up and dissolve, 仅在东方的拜占庭余晖中若隐若现 surviving only in the East under the Byzantine dynasty. 而终结这罗马残影的，是自东方而起的新势力—— The final death blow to these Roman remnants came in the form of a new, rising power from the east – 奥斯曼家族 The house of Osman, 他们之强盛，以至整个帝国皆以其名命名： a Turkish family so powerful their entire empire was named after them: 奥斯曼帝国 The Ottoman Empire. 君士坦丁堡的陨落，不仅是一个时代

的终结，亦是奥斯曼纪元在欧洲史册上翻开的序章 The fall of Constantinople heralded the beginning of an Ottoman chapter in European history. 土耳其帝国的版图很快跨越了高加索的峻岭，伸展至非洲的沙海 Soon, the Turkish empire spanned from the mountains of the Caucasus to the deep deserts of Africa. 这片疆土自封为伊斯兰世界的守护者 This vast empire claimed the mantle of defender of the Ummah, the global community of Islam. 为了坚固其地位 To bolster their claims, 奥斯曼家族将信仰中最为圣洁的麦加与麦地那收入囊中 the Osman family took control of the two most holy cities in the faith, Mecca and Medina

. 终究，土耳其人在五百年的时间长河中，主宰了欧洲大片疆域 In the end, the Turks would rule much of Europe for the better part of 500 years, 直至渐渐走向衰微 before settling into a slow decline. 至第一次世界大战爆发之际 By the dawn of the Great War, 昔日的奥斯曼帝国，不过是其辉煌岁月的余晖 the Ottoman Empire had become a mere shadow of its former self. 民族国家的崛起，唤醒了民族主义与身份认同的烈焰 The birth of the nation-state gave rise to powerful forces of nationalism and identity, 逐步蚕食那些风雨飘摇的多民族古老帝国 a process of awakening which would slowly degrade the lurching multi-ethnic empires

of old. 奥斯曼帝国，这位曾经的欧陆霸主，如今沦为“欧洲病夫”，挣扎在昔日荣光的阴影下 Now known as ‘The Sick Man of Europe,’ the Ottoman Empire struggled to maintain her once almighty presence. 大战前夕，希腊与保加利亚在俄罗斯援助下宣告独立 Already before the Great War, the Greeks and Bulgarians had reclaimed their sovereignty with support from Russia, 阿拉伯世界亦充斥着躁动的不安 while the Arab population simmered with discontent. 然而，在众大陆交汇之地，衰败之路也从来都是曲折的 Yet, decline is never a straightforward path in the Crossroads of Continents. 十九世纪之初的二十载里 In the first twenty year

s of the 19th century, 权势之秤在此地不止一次、两次，而是三度颠簸更迭 the balance of power here would shift not once, not twice, but thrice. 当欧洲大陆拉开世界大战的序幕时 When the Great war dawned on Europe, 战火也燃烧至阿拉伯的沙海深处 battle lines would be drawn deep into the Arabian deserts. 奥斯曼帝国，在绝境中挣扎求生，最终还是于柏林找到了盟友 Desperate to stave off their ultimate demise, the Ottomans found friends in Berlin, 选择和德意志帝国结盟，共同抵御来自圣彼得堡的古老敌手 aligning with the Kaiserreich against their eternal enemies in St. Petersburg. 无数英杰将挺身而出，迎难而上，为了双方的利益互相厮杀 Illustriou

s commanders would rise up to challenge the odds, both in the Ottoman Empire and in her enemies. 随后，渴望霸权的保加利亚 Soon, the power-hungry Bulgarians, 胸怀解放之梦的阿拉伯和犹豫不决的希腊 ambitious Arabs and reluctant Greeks 也将他们的命运投入到这场世界大战的漩涡之中 would cast their fate into the cauldron of the Weltkrieg as well. 在这场终战之战中 In this war to end all wars, 东方战场将见证又一场文明的伟大碰撞 The Eastern theatre would see another great clash of civilizations. 南巴尔干众邦深信，奥斯曼帝国的黄昏已近在眉睫—— The nations of the Southern Balkans believed the end of the Ot

toman Empire was nigh – 然而，这场误算终将使他们承受惨痛的代价 a miscalculation that would, in the end, cost them dearly. 近东的大战，与法意战壕的泥泞相异，展现了一幅截然不同的战争图景 The Great War in the Near East had a distinctly different character from the trenches of France and Italy, which defined our memory of the war. 西线战场的每一寸土地收复，都以无数勇士的鲜血为代价 While in the West, territorial gains were counted in miles and paid for in thousands of lives, 而东方战场，则是战旗频繁更迭，战线忽前忽后 the East would see more dramatic advances and reversals throughout the campaig

ns there. 这一别具一格的战争特性，在黎凡特地区的激烈征战中表现得淋漓尽致 This different character was most apparent in the dynamic fighting in the Levant, 那里的战局如同风云变幻，时而归奥斯曼帝国所有，时而又落入英国之手 which swung wildly from Ottoman to British control and back during the war. 远离欧洲铁路网的纠缠 Further from the connected railways of Europe, 近东战场的命脉更多地操控在了那些难以企及的补给线上 the Great War in the Near East was defined more by supply lines than it was by fortifications. 在高加索的峻岭和阿拉伯沙漠的荒凉之中 In the distant and rough terrain of the Caucasus and the arid sands o

f the Arab peninsula, 战事被那寥寥可数的补给站、铁路和电报点所束缚 the war was constrained by supply points and the few available railways and telegram stations. 于是，在这片东方的疆场 Fighting in the East, then, 争夺的不仅是土地，更是那些铁路交汇处与海港的掌控权 was not so much about controlling territory as it was about controlling railway junctions and ports. 至1916年春，同盟国在中东的局势已大为改观 By May 1916, the situation in the Middle-East had improved considerably for the Central powers. 保加利亚轻松击败了毫无准备的塞尔维亚 The Bulgarians had scored an easy victory against an un

prepared Serbia, 而德意志在东线战场上稳步推进，令俄军节节败退 and Germany was confidently pushing back Russia in the Eastern theater. 然而，局势并非尽如人意 However, not all was well. 奥斯曼帝国仍旧在三面受敌，苦战不已 The Ottomans still faced a difficult war on three fronts. 冒着高加索的战火在严寒中与俄军交锋 In the Caucasus, clashes with Russia unfolded amidst an unforgiving climate, 英军则不断逼迫着奥斯曼的黎凡特阵线 while the British relentlessly pressed upon the Ottoman Levant. 即便如此，奥斯曼的战士们依旧英勇抵抗 Despite these hardships, Ottoman soldiers fiercely defended their territories

, 屡屡创造惊人的胜利 and even scored several illustrious wins. 历史学家们将加利波利之战的胜利，誉为奥斯曼的“荣耀巅峰” For some historians, victories like the one at Gallipoli would be considered the Ottoman’s very own ‘finest hour’. 这一战中，协约国的大举海上进攻被土耳其的坚定防守所击退 At Gallipoli, a massive naval landing by Entente forces was pushed back into the sea by determined Turkish defenders. 这场胜利，照耀出奧斯曼军中一颗冉冉升起的将星—— This auspicious victory would shine a spotlight on a rising commander inside the Ottoman Army: 穆斯塔法·凯末尔 a man named Mustafa Kemal.

凯末尔，1881年生于希腊人众多的萨洛尼卡 Born in 1881 in the Greek-majority city of Salonica, 他在奥斯曼军队中迅速晋升 Mustafa Kemal rose quickly through the ranks of the Ottoman Army. 以其战略见识和对帝国事业的不渝忠诚而著称 The commander became renowned for his strategic genius and determination to the cause of the Empire. 凯末尔对奥斯曼的理想忠诚不渝，与科斯坦丁尼耶腐朽的政权形成了强烈对比 Kemal’s loyalty to Ottoman ideals stood in stark contrast to the corrupt regime in Constantinople, 他与中央政府的紧张关系在很大程度上影响了战争的进程 and tensions between Kemal and the central government would defi

ne much of course of the war. 尽管在黎凡特和西线取得了胜利 Despite these victories in the Levant and Western front, 奥斯曼帝国的根基却异常脆弱 the Ottoman state was a fragile one indeed. 在大战中，对奥斯曼统治的真正危险并非来自外部侵略者，而是来自内部 In the Great War, the true danger to Ottoman rule would not come from a foreign aggressor, but from within. 到1916年晚些时候，麦加的谢里夫侯赛因·本·阿里与英国人密谋起义反对奥斯曼统治 By the late 1916’s Hussein bin Ali, the Sharif of Mecca, conspired with the British to rise up against Ottoman rule. 怀揣建立独立阿拉伯国家的抱负 With his aspirations for a

n independent Arab state, 谢里夫召集了一支军队，开始攻击奥斯曼的驻军和补给线 the Sharif rallied an army and began attacking Ottoman garrisons and supply lines. 在英国指挥官T.E.劳伦斯的支持下 The revolting Arabs, with the support of British commander T.E. Lawrence, 起义的阿拉伯人迅速占据了领土 began gaining ground at a rapid pace. 然而，当土耳其人组织起有力的抵抗后，阿拉伯人的好运逐渐消逝 Yet, Arab fortunes waned after the Turks mounted an organized resistance, 这场起义未能达成伦敦所期望的速战速决 and the revolt failed to achieve the swift victories London had been hoping for. 事实上，英国人与满怀理想的阿拉伯

领导人之间的关系从一开始就充满了紧张 In truth, the relationship between the British and the willful Arab leaders had been strained from the beginning. 谢里夫未能夺取亚喀巴港城 The failure of the Sharif to capture the port city of Aqaba 几乎完全消磨了伦敦在黎凡特为阿拉伯人提供有意义帮助的信心 almost fully eroded London’s confidence that the Arabs would offer meaningful assistance in the Levant. 然而，英国人依然保持援助 Still, the British continued to supply aid, 担心一旦援助切断，盟友可能再度倒戈 fearful that if their support ended, the allegiance of Sharif Hussein might shift back

to the Sultan in Constantinople. 至1917年盛夏 By the summer of 1917, 战局陷入了一片死寂 the war had ground to a complete standstill. 阿拉伯人攻势受阻，俄国人筋疲力尽 The Arabs were contained, the Russians exhausted, 唯有英国在埃及与两河之间的威胁依旧笼罩 and only the British threat in Egypt and Mesopotamia remained. 有见及此，协约国打算在科斯坦丁尼耶附近开辟一条新的战线 Looking for options, the Entente attempted to open a new front closer to Constantinople, 拉拢希腊加入战局 by swaying Greece into joining the war. 希腊长期在纷争的漩涡中左右为难 Greece had long been torn between competing sid

es. 自1914年起，雅典政坛因一简单问题而撕裂： Much of Athenian politics from 1914 onwards had been defined by a simple question: 希腊是否应挺身而出，从奥斯曼帝国手中夺回属于自己的土地？ Should Greece join the war and reclaim Greek territories from the Ottomans, or not? 政府一分为二： The government was split in two factions: 一方是主战的鹰派内阁，另一方是反战的鸽派内阁 a pro-war hawk cabinet, and an anti-war dove cabinet. 作为一名进步的自由主义者，首相埃莱夫特里奥斯·韦尼泽洛斯强烈支持协约国 Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos, a progressive liberal, ardently supported the Entente, 而那位保守的德裔君主，则毫不掩饰他与柏林的

紧密联系 while the conservative German king openly aligned with Berlin. 1917年，战争的天平最终倾向于鹰派 By 1917, the pro-Entente hawks had seized the government. 韦尼泽洛斯以其非凡的政治手腕，废黜了国王，使其子登基 Venizelos had outmaneuvered the reigning monarch, placed his own son on the throne, 决意带领希腊与同盟国决一死战 and steered Greece towards war with the Central Powers. 抱着重夺昔日荣耀君士坦丁堡的壮志 Fueled with the ambition of reclaiming the historic city of Constantinople, 希腊军队跨越疆界，踏入了奥斯曼的土地 Greek forces crossed the border into Ottoman holdings. 然而，他们的

初步进攻遭到了决心十足的保加利亚人侧袭 Unfortunately, their initial advance was flanked by determined Bulgarian defenders, 缺乏盟军支援，希腊难以独立抗衡两大地域势力 and Greece simply could not fight two regional powers at once without Allied support. 至1919年春，西线溃败 In the end, the Western front collapsed in the spring of 1919, 法兰西被迫于8月12日签署了停战协议 leading France to sign an armistice on August 12th. 至此，希腊失去了援兵的希望 Greece, now without hopes for reinforcement, 决定在第二天提前结束战斗 decided to end the fight prematurely the next day. 宁愿求和，也不想面对投降可能带来的严

酷后果 Greece sued for peace, rather than risk the harsh treatment that capitulation would bring. 到了1919年，西线战场的枪炮声终于归于寂静 By 1919, the guns on the Western front would fall silent. 但在奥斯曼帝国的广袤土地上 In the Ottoman Empire, however, 战火却更加旺盛，甚至有愈演愈烈之势 fighting raged on and even intensified. 在亚得里亚海以东 East of the Adriatic, 大战残篇的每一页都沉重而血腥 The final chapters of the Great War would be long and bloody indeed. 西线虽已停火 Even after the ceasefire in the West, 英军却继续在阿拉伯、美索不达米亚及黎凡特地区对奥斯曼的据点围攻 British armies besieged Otto

man positions in Arabia, Mesopotamia, and the Levant. 在高加索的群山之中 In the Caucasus, 最高朴特面临着军队哗变、民族仇杀 the Sublime Porte faced a rogue army, ethnic violence, 以及与往日盟友德国之间的代理人战争 and a proxy war with Germany, once a trusted ally. 高加索战场，以其险峻的山地战和民族矛盾的泛滥而闻名 The war in the Caucasus had been defined by treacherous mountain warfare and scarred by ethnic violence. 至1917年春，俄罗斯军队已深入奥斯曼的东北边陲 By 1917, the Russian army had pushed deep into the Ottoman northeast. 而科斯坦丁尼耶则将其接连不断的败绩，归咎于那些身处其领土上的异族 Constantinople blam

ed their mounting losses on local ethnic minorities, 尤其指向了亚美尼亚人 particularly the Armenians. 奥斯曼的铁蹄之下，组织严密的镇压行动如狂风暴雨般席卷而过 Ottoman forces mounted a violent and organized repression, 留下了数百万无辜者的累累尸骸 leaving a million civilians dead in their wake. 这些罪行，加之圣地上日渐升温的族群仇恨 These actions, combined with mounting ethnic violence in the Holy land, 令西方列强深感震惊，纷纷起而反对奥斯曼的暴行 would horrify the Western Great powers and rally them against the Ottoman cause. 即便已经签署了凡尔赛条约 Germany, even while signing the Treaty of Versai

lles, 德国仍与大英帝国暗中勾连，以平息中东的民族紧张局势，制止奥斯曼的残暴之举 would actually collude with the British Empire to put a stop to ethnic tensions in the Middle-East and contain Ottoman violence. 1918年之后，柏林与科斯坦丁尼耶的矛盾终于爆发 After 1918, Berlin and Constantinople clashed openly on the diplomatic front, 外交争端转变为兵戈相见 and would even fight each other militarily in several campaigns. 要想洞察同盟国内部这一戏剧性转变的动因 To understand the driving forces behind this dramatic shift inside the Central Powers alliance, 我们必须首先了解科斯坦丁尼耶本身的权力平衡 we must fi

rst understand the balance of power in Constantinople itself. 自1913年起，奥斯曼政权，也就是所谓的“最高朴特” Since 1913, the Ottoman State, the so-called ‘Sublime Porte’ 已落入青年土耳其运动的掌控之中 had been under the control of the Young Turks movement. 青年土耳其党是一群志向现代化、世俗化并致力于保全奥斯曼帝国的知识分子与政治家的联合体 The Young Turks were a diverse mixture of intellectuals and statesmen that aimed for the modernization, secularization and preservation of the Ottoman Empire. 但权力的宝座 The faction that ultimately came to power, however, 最终被党中最激进的泛突厥理念守卫者

占据 would represent some of the most radical pan-Turkish ideologues in the party. 他们结成联合进步委员会（CUP） They organized into the CUP, the Committee of Union and Progress, 并以铁腕手段统治帝国 and ruled the Empire with an iron grip. 至1918年，自第一次巴尔干战争以来，奥斯曼帝国一直在冲突中跌跌撞撞 By 1918, the Ottoman Empire had been stumbling from conflict to conflict ever since the First Balkan War. 科斯坦丁尼耶的混乱达到了极点 The chaos in Constantinople was complete. 恒久的暴力与恐怖往往孕育强人政府 Such a regime of constant violence and terror often gives rise to a st

rongman government, 最高朴特亦难逃此劫 and the Sublime Porte was no exception. 在战争的混乱中 In the chaos of the war years, 三位关键人物从联合进步委员会中脱颖而出，最终完全控制了奥斯曼政权 three key figures emerged from the CUP that would eventually gain complete control of the Ottoman State. 这便是奥斯曼史册上，被后人称为“三帕夏之治”的序章 This was the start of the Triumvirate chapter in Ottoman History, often referred to as ‘The rule of the three Pasha’s’. 不同于任何现代议会政府 The Triumvirate informally held total control of the Ottoman Empire, 三帕夏以一种近乎中世纪军阀的方式，非正式地掌控了奥斯

曼帝国 but did so more in the style of medieval warlords rather than any notion of modern parliamentary government. 名义上，三帕夏由大维齐尔塔拉特帕夏领导 Nominally, the triumvirate was led by Grand Vizier Talat Pasha. 然而，由于长期战争 Due to the never-ending war, however, 国家机器大多数被军事部门所占据 much of the apparatus of state was invested in the military. 这些部门由海军大臣杰迈勒帕夏 These branches were led by the Minister of the Navy, Cemal Pasha, 以及最为著名的战争大臣恩维尔帕夏所领导 and most prominently, the Minister of war, Enver Pasha. 恩维尔帕夏，这位掌控奥斯曼军权的铁血将军

Enver Pasha, commander of the Ottoman military, 在战争早期扮演着维系帝国的关键角色 was a key figure in holding the Empire together during the early war years. 然而，烽火连年不绝，他对暴力和镇压的偏执也愈发深重 His proclivity for violence and repression would only worsen, however. 随着战争进程 By the later chapters of the war, 恩维尔帕夏开始信奉一种激进的泛突厥意识形态 Enver Pasha had come to follow a radical pan-Turkish ideology. 在这位战争帕夏的心中 In the mind of the War Pasha, 为了土耳其国家的存续，任何手段一概不论，一切暴行但求有功 no method was too dark to ensure the survival of the Turkish stat

e. 如今的许多观察家认为 Many observers now consider Enver Pasha to be, 恩维尔帕夏即便不是彻底疯了，也是精神极度不稳定 if not outright mad, then at the very least dangerously unstable. 不幸的是，他的恐怖统治得到了三巨头中其他帕夏的全力支持 Unfortunately, his reign of terror was fully backed by the other Pasha’s in the Triumvirate. 在他们的统治下，奥斯曼犯下了世界大战中最令人发指的罪行 Under their rule, some of the most heinous acts in the Weltkrieg would be committed. 青年土耳其党三巨头希望将高加索并入其突厥民族帝国 The desire of the Young Turk triumvirate to incorporate the Caucasus into its Turkish ethn

ic Empire 驱使奥斯曼帝国对该地展开了残酷镇压 drove Ottoman military repression in the region. 但土耳其人并不是高加索地区唯一的觊觎者 However, the Turks were not the only claimants in the Caucasus. 除了格鲁吉亚人、亚美尼亚人和阿塞拜疆人之外 Aside from the Georgians, Armenians and Azeris, 德国人也对该地区展现了浓厚的兴趣 the Germans also expressed keen interest in the area. 不久前，德国从摇摇欲坠的俄罗斯帝国手中攫取了大片领土 Not long before, Germany had secured vast territories from the crumbling Russian Empire, 外交官们已经开始筹划在此地建立与德国结盟的新附庸国 and already diplomats were drawing up plans for new, Ger

man-aligned client states in the region. 当俄国人也从高加索地区撤退后，德皇的目光瞄向了更远的东方 When the Russians retreated from the Caucasus as well, the Kaiser’s eye was drawn even further east. 在世界大战的胜利刺激下，德国外交方针日益利己 Germany, bolstered by victory in the Weltkrieg, began pursuing an increasingly self-interested diplomatic tract. 面对着维也纳和科斯坦丁尼耶的不可靠的盟友 Faced with unreliable allies in Vienna and Constantinople, 柏林开始幻想战后世界将由它自己大权独揽而非与同盟国分享 Berlin began dreaming of a post-war world where it, and not the Central Powers allian

ce, would hold all the power. 尤其是考虑到奥匈帝国和奥斯曼帝国在战争中的孱弱表现 Especially considering the weak performance of Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire in the war, 德国对她的帝国盟友们愈发不满 Germany grew resentful of her imperial allies. 德国需要的不是盟国 In the minds of the German elite, 而是受到严格控制的附庸国 Germany did not need allies as much as it needed tightly controlled client states. 这样一个的由小国组成的完全受柏林支配的地带 Such a belt of smaller powers, completely under the sway of Berlin, 可以通过在外围地区的经济影响力得到加强 could be reinforced with economic

influence in outlying areas. 为实现德国支配下的“中欧同盟”计划 For this plan of a united German ‘Mitteleuropa’, 高加索地区可以提供最有用的产出：石油 the Caucasus could provide a most useful boon: Oil. 时至1916年，阿塞拜疆意味着全欧洲最大、最发达的油田 By 1916, Azerbaijan represented some of the largest and most developed oil fields in Europe. 石油迅速成为全球工业不可或缺的关键资源 Oil was rapidly becoming a crucial resource for the world’s industry, 而德国深知工业就是力量 and Germany knew very well that industry was power. 柏林贪求将阿塞拜疆的巨大石油储备与她在东欧的新资产联系起来 Berlin avidly sought to conn

ect the large oil reserves in Azerbaijan to her new holdings in Eastern Europe. 如果能将巴库纳入德国不断扩张的附庸国地带，就能在未来数十年内有效支撑德国的霸权地位 If added to Germany’s growing belt of client states, Baku could fuel German dominance for decades to come. 为了将巴库与乌克兰连接起来 To link Baku to Ukraine, 德国迫切地寻求与刚刚独立的高加索诸共和国合作 Germany eagerly sought collaboration with the now-independent Caucasus Republics. 1918年，德国与格鲁吉亚签署了《波季条约》 In 1918, Germany and Georgia signed the Treaty of Poti, 将格鲁吉亚确立为受德意志帝国保护的独立国家 establishing Georgia as an

independent state protected by the Kaiserreich. 作为回报，新生的第比利斯政府向德国石油公司给予慷慨的让步 In return, the nascent government in Tbilisi awarded generous concessions to German oil companies. 奥斯曼帝国和德国对高加索地区的构想显然水火不容的 It was becoming evident that Ottoman and German visions for the Caucasus were fundamentally incompatible. 在俄军撤退后陷入混乱的一年里 In the chaotic year following the retreat of Russian forces, 科斯坦丁尼耶试图通过率先进入该地区来赢过德国人 Constantinople attempted to outmaneuver the Germans by being first into the region. 恩维尔帕夏从科斯

坦丁尼耶指挥他的效忠者率军进入高加索，抢在德国人之前控制这片地区 From Constantinople, Enver Pasha commanded his loyalists to lead a campaign into the Caucasus and seize the territory before the Germans could. 以恩维尔的同父异母兄弟基利吉尔为首 Enver’s half-brother Kiligili was placed at the head of a paramilitary force 一支由伊斯兰高加索人、奥斯曼军队和帝国各地的其他辅助部队组成的准军事部队很快组建起来 consisting of Islamic Caucasians, Ottoman forces and other auxiliaries from all parts of the Empire. 这支远征军后来被称为高加索伊斯兰军 This expedition would become known as the Islamic Army of the Cauc

asus, 简称伊斯兰军 or in short, the Army of Islam. 这支伊斯兰军声名狼藉 This Army of Islam would go down in infamy, 以确保土耳其人和穆斯林在该地区的"安全"为借口，犯下了残暴的战争罪行。 committing atrocious war crimes under the pretense of ‘securing’ the region for Turks and Muslims. 伊斯兰军倾巢而出，入侵亚美尼亚和格鲁吉亚 The Army of Islam invaded Armenia and Georgia in full force, 并于1918年夏季开始与格鲁吉亚人和德国人爆发冲突 and began clashing with Georgians and Germans during the summer of 1918. 在许多历史学家看来，格鲁吉亚危机标志着同盟国的终结 To many historians, the Georgia Crisis marked the death of

the Central Powers Alliance. 奥斯曼帝国和德国军队开始在高加索地区公然交火 Ottoman and German forces began fighting each other openly in the Caucasus. 双方的死亡人数骤增 Deaths on both sides were mounting rapidly, 而所谓的盟友彼此似乎都无意放弃该地区 and neither of the supposed allies seemed intent on giving up the region. 然而，奥斯曼帝国军队由于地缘上靠近亚美尼亚而占据优势 Ottoman forces had the advantage however, due to their proximity to Armenia. 德军从乌克兰调来 German forces had been deployed from Ukraine, 不敌伊斯兰军的人数优势 but were outnumbered by the advancing Army of Islam.

在击退德军后，奥斯曼帝国占领了巴库并进一步向北推进 After pushing the Germans back, the Ottomans captured Baku and moved further North - 这让柏林大失所望 much to Berlin’s dismay. 尽管与奥斯曼帝国在纸面上仍然是盟友 While the Germans and Ottomans remained allies on paper, 但德意志帝国不得不应对恩维尔帕夏在高加索的胆大妄为及其对柏林权威的挑战 the Kaiserreich was forced to react to Enver Pasha’s brazen war crimes and challenges to Berlin in the Caucasus. 善于操弄政治的柏林 Ever the subtle political player, 并没有直接叫板科斯坦丁尼耶，而是选择利用奥斯曼帝国对德国军事援助的依赖 Berlin leveraged Ottoman reliance on German militar

y assistance rather than challenge Constantinople directly. 10月4日，德国代理人成功说服苏丹穆罕默德六世 On October 4th, German agents had persuaded Sultan Mehmed VI to fire Enver Pasha, 以其在高加索前线战事失利的名义，黜免了恩维尔帕夏 nominally for his military failures on the Caucasus Front. 然而，恩维尔帕夏并没有坐以待毙 Rather than surrender to this cloak and dagger scheme, however, 而是逃往高加索，亲自指挥伊斯兰军 Enver Pasha fled to the Caucasus to take personal command of the Army of Islam. 现在，恩维尔帕夏已脱离中央政府控制 Now beyond the control of the central government, 他继续在亚

美尼亚实施恐怖行动 Enver Pasha continued his campaign of terror in Armenia. 战争帕夏妄图在这里建立一个大伊斯兰突厥帝国 The War Pasha pushed through the region with the pretension of forming a Great Islamic Turkish Empire, 并向中亚地区扩张 spreading well into Central Asia. 奥斯曼人现在不仅公开对抗协约国 The Ottomans were now openly fighting not only the Entente, 还对抗他们的德国盟友 but their German allies, 甚至对抗他们自己 and even themselves. 对于恩维尔帕夏和整个奥斯曼帝国而言 For Enver Pasha, and the Ottoman Empire as a whole, 历史上的这一篇章标志着着最高朴特的堕落，堕入了部落主义与无法无天的深渊 this chapter in h

istory represented the full extent of the Sublime Porte’s descent into tribalism and lawlessness. 在恩维尔帕夏遭到黜免后 Upon sacking Enver Pasha, 剩下的两位帕夏勒紧了苏丹和不安分的议会身上的绳索 the remaining two Pashas clamped down on the Sultan and the restless Ottoman Parliament. 1919年3月21日，他们将苏丹软禁 On March 21st, 1919, they placed the Sultan under house arrest, 政治家们纷纷逃离科斯坦丁尼耶 to the backdrop of politicians fleeing Constantinople. 帝国此刻陷入彻底的混乱 The Empire had now descended into total chaos. 但仍有一人能力挽狂澜 One man, however, could sti

ll turn the tide. 在南部战线的战壕深处 Deep in the trenches of the Southern Front, 穆斯塔法·凯末尔朝北望去，眼见他的国家步入疯狂 Mustafa Kemal looked northwards and saw his nation spiral into madness. 而此刻的他却无暇他顾 For the time being, however, 生死系于与眼前入侵英军的殊死一搏中 he was locked in a life or death struggle with the invading British Army. 在整个世界大战期间 Throughout the Weltkrieg, 英国付出了巨大的努力来冲破凯末尔的防线，直达奥斯曼帝国的心脏地带—— the British had made considerable efforts to dislodge Kemal and punch through to the Ottoman heartland, 安纳托利亚半岛 the Anatolian pe

ninsula. 为此，伦敦使出了浑身解数： To achieve this, London struck at the Sublime Porte from every angle it could: 既直接在圣地发起军事行动 Using a direct military campaign in the Holy Land, 又借助了阿拉伯民兵和地方叛乱之力 as well as leveraging Arab militias and local revolts. 当然，英国这样做 The British, of course, 并非真心希望阿拉伯世界获得自由 did not do so out of any true allegiance to a free Arab world. 而是出于对中东的控制欲 Rather, Great Britain sought to acquire dominion of the Middle-East herself, 企图将阿拉伯国家纳入威斯敏斯特的王冠之下 and place the Arab nations under the cro

wn in Westminster. 各种意义上来说，英国在1919年后与奥斯曼帝国的战争，都只不过是其最后的挣扎 In many ways, the British continued their fight with the Ottomans after 1919 as a last-ditch effort. 毕竟，法国战场已经败北 London had, after all, lost the Weltkrieg in France, 伦敦只能将其余力，投入到这座迄今只有一连串灾难的战场中，试图挽回一丝赢面 and much of her efforts past 1919 were focused on securing at least some gains from a war which had so far been nothing but an unmitigated disaster. 因此，第一次阿拉伯起义将阿拉伯人置于进退两难的境地 This first Arab revolt, then, would put the Arabs between a rock

and a hard place. 一方面 On one hand, 阿拉伯革命者与日益陷入族裔暴力的奥斯曼帝国打得不可开交 Arab Revolutionaries fought an Ottoman State which spiraled ever further into ethnic violence. 另一方面 On the other, 英国人的上限也只是一个不可靠的伙伴 the British represented an unreliable partner at best, 而下限则是一种新的帝国主义压迫者 and a new flavor of imperialist oppressor at worst. 对阿拉伯人来说，他们确实是一群“背信弃义的阿尔比恩人” To the Arabs, it was Perfidious Albion, indeed. 阿拉伯起义虽未能为协约国遗留势力夺得多少土地 While the Arab Revolt had yielded little territorial gains for the remnants of th

e Entente, 但谢里夫还是成功地分散并削弱了凯末尔的前线 the Sharif still succeeded in distracting and weakening Kemal’s frontline. 到了1917年，英国已经突破了奥斯曼在西奈的防线 By 1917, the British had broken through Ottoman lines in the Sinai. 到了次年年底，他们已经占领了奥斯曼南部的大部分地区 By the end of the next year, they had occupied much of the Ottoman south. 协约国部队正通过巴勒斯坦向北进军，深入叙利亚 Entente forces were pushing north through Palestine and well into Syria, 也在南美索不达米亚日渐推进 as well as circling around from Southern Mesopotamia. 在英国的铁蹄与奥斯曼帝国的心脏之间，矗立着一人 Between the

British and the heart of the Ottoman Empire stood one man. 那便是在加利波利之战后声名显赫的穆斯塔法·凯末尔 Defense of the Southern front fell to Mustafa Kemal, who had risen to prominence after the Battle of Gallipoli. 待到1918年9月的秋风起时 By September of 1918, 奥斯曼帝国被四面包围的窘境已愈发明显，黎凡特的战线似乎难以为继 it was becoming increasingly clear that the Ottoman Empire was flanked from all sides and could not hold the Levant. 当杰迈勒帕夏向凯末尔下达了在叙利亚“背水一战”的命令时 When Cemal Pasha sent Kemal a stand-or-die order in Syria, 凯末尔却坚定地拒绝了 Kemal resolutely re

fused. 这位将军不惧三巨头的怒火 To the outrage of the Triumvirate, 选择了撤回至小亚细亚东南部更易守卫的地带— the commander retreated to a more defensible position in southeastern Anatolia, 历史悠久的亚历山大勒塔附近 near the historic city of Alexandretta. 这一行动让协约国军队得以踏足土耳其土地 Entente forces had now been allowed to cross into Turkish lands as well, 对奥斯曼的士气造成了沉重一击 a major blow to Ottoman morale. 但这场战略博弈 This strategic gamble would, however, 最终却为凯末尔的军队带来了意料之外的收获 pay dividends for Kemal’s forces in the end. 为了在小亚细亚地区给奥斯曼以致命一击 The British, hopin

g to secure a killing blow against Anatolia, 英国针对马拉斯镇发动了一次全面进攻 launched a major attack by advancing on the town of Maras. 然而，德奥（土）联军成功地坚守阵地，将英军逼退 However, a joint German-Ottoman force managed to hold out and push the British back. 结果，英军止于小亚细亚门前 At last, the British Army had been halted at the gates of Anatolia. 在这场胜利后，凯末尔也准备好了将英国侵略者彻底驱逐出去 After this victory, Kemal seemed poised to begin pushing the invaders back. 但在他发动反击之前 However, before he could launch a counterattack, 塔拉特帕夏却从南线调走了大批部队去对抗恩维尔帕夏

在高加索的军队 Talat Pasha pulled a large section of his troops away from the Southern front to fight against Enver Pasha in the Caucasus. 这一举措严重削弱了凯末尔收复叙利亚的能力 This move gutted Kemal’s ability to return Syria to Ottoman control, 这似乎是德国方面故意拖后腿 and seemed like an intentional hamstring on the part of Germany. 更糟糕的是，奥斯曼情报部门开始报告说德国人正在秘密与英国外交官接触 Even worse, Ottoman intelligence services had begun reporting that the Germans were engaging with British diplomats in secret. 同盟国在高加索公开交战 With the Central Powers fi

ghting each other openly in the Caucasus, 显然德国无意维护奥斯曼的领土完整 it was clear Germany had no intention of honoring Ottoman territorial integrity. 在英国的支持下 With British support, 德国可能会以一纸只有柏林受益的和平协议中结束大战 the Germans could end the Great War in a peace deal that favored only Berlin, 将她的东方盟友抛给狼群 and threw her eastern ally to the wolves. 这场外交背叛，为凯末尔厌恶德意志帝国的开端 This diplomatic betrayal would mark the beginning of Kemal’s aversion to the German Empire. 身为奥斯曼大业坚定的捍卫者 Still a firm believer of the Ottoman cause, 凯

末尔视这场幕后交易为对奥斯曼子民深重的背叛 Kemal saw this backroom diplomacy as a great betrayal to the Ottoman people. 在怒火中燃烧的凯末尔，目光随即瞄准了科斯坦丁尼耶 In his fury, Kemal turned his attention to Constantinople. 在这座帝国的心脏，军队与三巨头之间的紧张，正迅速升温，一触即发 In the capitol, tensions between the military and the Triumvirate were quickly reaching a boiling point. 至1919年4月2日 By April 2nd, 1919, 凯末尔对首都的政治闹剧已经忍无可忍 Kemal decided he had had enough of the political theatre in the capitol. 塔拉特和杰迈勒帕夏的独裁公然迎合德皇的想法 The dictatorship of Talat and Cemal

Pasha was now openly dancing to the Kaiser’s tune, 苏丹被软禁，而议会对结束混乱的呼声越来越高 the Sultan was under house arrest, and the Parliament clamored ever more for an end to the chaos. 凯末尔召集了支持他的民众，反对专制的三巨头 Kemal rallied his popular base against the authoritarian Triumvirate, 并呼吁军队掌控国家机器 and called for the military to seize control of the apparatus of state. 4月21日，他发表了亚历山大勒塔宣言 On April 21st, he issued the Alexandretta Proclamation. 在战壕中，凯末尔呼吁推翻青年土耳其党的独裁统治，结束对苏丹的软禁 From the trenches, Kemal called for the overt

hrow of the Young Turk dictatorship and an end to the Sultan’s House Arrest. 帕夏们试图解除这位指挥官的职务 The Pasha’s would attempt to dismiss the commander, 但他们低估了凯末尔在民众心中的声望 but underestimated his popularity with the populace. 毕竟，凯末尔是加利波利和亚历山大勒塔的英雄，阻止了英军占领安纳托利亚 Kemal was, after all, the hero of Gallipoli and Alexandretta who had held the British from taking Anatolia. 另一方面，帕夏们是公认的腐败阴谋家，给帝国带来了无尽的灾难 The Pasha’s, on the other hand, were considered to be corrupt schemers who had brought nothing but ruin to the

empire. 当凯末尔主义者在首都起义执行他的命令时 When Kemalists rose up in the capitol to carry out his orders, 三巨头的残余势力知道他们末日将至 the remnants of the Triumvirate knew their days were numbered. 塔拉特和杰迈勒帕夏在亚历山大勒塔宣言后不久就逃离了帝国 Talat and Cemal Pasha fled the Empire shortly after the Alexandretta declaration, 就这样，凯末尔成为了奥斯曼军队的领袖 solidifying Kemal as the head of the Ottoman Army, 以及帝国内新的统治力量 and the new ruling political force within the Empire. 当青年土耳其党三巨头垮台时 By the time the Young Turk Triumvirate had come crashing down, 英军已从安纳

托利亚全面撤退 the British Army was in full retreat from Anatolia. 他们早先的推进使得本已再衰三竭的英国皇家军队更不堪重负 Their earlier advances had vastly overstretched the waning Royal Army, 给他们对黎凡特的占领留下了巨大的缺口 leaving large gaps in their occupation of the Levant. 阿拉伯叛乱分子嗅到了独立的机会 Arab insurgents, sensing an opportunity to gain independence, 转而向英国人发难 turned their ire on the British. 阿拉伯人在叙利亚的骚乱迫使英军一路退回耶路撒冷 This Arab unrest in Syria forced the Royal Army to retreat all the way back to Jerusalem. 1919年11月6日，随着《凡尔赛条约》的签订，世界大战终于尘埃落定

On November 6th, 1919 the Weltkrieg finally formally came to an end with the Treaty of Versailles. 对奥斯曼人来说 For the Ottomans, 该条约虽然承诺结束无休无止的战争，但和平只停留在纸面上 this treaty promised an end to never-ending war, but only in theory. 当欧洲外交官们为欧洲的和平干杯时 While European diplomats toasted to peace in Europe, 中东和黎凡特的战火还将持续整个冬天 fighting would continue in the Middle-East and the Levant throughout the winter. 高加索的闹剧只有在11月30日的高加索会议上才得以充分处置 The Caucasus theater would only be fully settled with the Caucasus Conference

on November 30th. 对德国来说，得以畅通无阻地进入石油资源丰富的阿塞拜疆至关重要的 For Germany, gaining unfiltered access to oil-rich Azerbaijan was critical. 因此，德意志帝国再次诉诸现实政治 Thus, the Kaiserreich resorted to Realpolitik once more, 采取转移奥斯曼帝国在该地区的注意力的办法 by diverting Ottoman attention in the region. 为了确保格鲁吉亚和阿塞拜疆的安全 To secure Georgia and Azerbaijan, 德国非常愿意将亚美尼亚拱手让给土耳其，以示友好 the Kaiserreich was more than willing to throw Armenia to the Turks as a gesture of goodwill. 现在科斯坦丁尼耶掌权的穆斯塔法·凯末尔 Initially, Mustafa Kemal, now holding power

in Constantinople, 起初并不愿意接受这一解决方案 was reluctant to accept the settlement. 在德国人早先与帕夏密谋之后 After the Germans had conspired with the Pasha’s earlier, 这位奥斯曼帝国的指挥官知道最好不要相信德皇提出的任何交易 the Ottoman commander knew better than to trust any deal the Kaiser offered. 谈及凯末尔掌舵的奥斯曼帝国 When it came to Kemal’s Ottoman Empire, 英国人和德国人似乎更乐于搁置分歧，共同瓜分这个突厥民族国家 the British and Germans seemed more than happy to set aside their differences and carve up the Turkish State. 尽管他心存疑虑 Despite his misgivings, 但科斯坦丁尼耶的民众还是希望先结束战争 pu

blic sentiment in Constantinople desired, above all, an end to the war years. 遭到盟友背叛的奥斯曼帝国不情愿地从格鲁吉亚和阿塞拜疆撤军 Betrayed by her allies, the Ottoman Empire reluctantly retreated from Georgia and Azerbaijan, 并接受亚美尼亚作为让步 and accepted Armenia as a concession. 德国曾一度给亚美尼亚政府许诺独立 The Armenian government, once promised independence by Germany, 却又被这一欧洲殖民列强亲手送进了狼窝 was itself thrown to the wolves by yet another European colonial power. 剩下的独立政府成员不是逃亡就是入狱 What was left of the independent government fled or was jai

led, 但亚美尼亚人不会轻易原谅德国人的背信弃义 but this betrayal would not soon be forgiven by the Armenians. 高加索和平的仅剩阻碍就是恩维尔帕夏的伊斯兰军了 The sole remaining obstacle to peace in the Caucasus was Enver Pasha’s army of Islam, 他们仍然霸占了阿塞拜疆的大部分地区 which continued to occupy much of Azerbaijan. 德阿（塞拜疆）联军最终将这个疯狂的军阀赶出了高加索 It would be German-Azeri troops that finally dislodged the mad warlord from the Caucasus. 被彻底击败后，恩维尔帕夏逃上飞机 After being decisively defeated, Enver Pasha took flight. 1920年9月3日 On September 3rd, 1920, 最后的帕夏逃往土库曼斯坦

，继续追寻他的大民族帝国梦 the last of the Pasha’s fled towards Turkmenistan in pursuit of his ethnic imperial desires, 而他的匪军则四散奔逃 scattering his rogue army to the winds. 在南边，英军起初拒绝从巴勒斯坦和巴士拉撤退 In the South, the British Army had initially refused to retreat from Palestine and Basra. 在圣地，与在高加索地区一样 In the Holy Land, much like in the Caucasus, 三帕夏政权象征着极端的种族暴力 the Triumvirate regime had represented extreme ethnic violence, 关于奥斯曼军队犯下战争罪行的报道屡见不鲜 and reports of war crimes by Ottoman forces were common. 英国外交官把自己塑造为该地

区犹太人的唯一保护者 British diplomats presented themselves as the sole protector of the region’s Jewish population, 因为在世界大战期间，那里的犹太人社区曾多次在青年土耳其党的直接命令下遭到迫害 as the community there had been repeatedly persecuted during the Weltkrieg on direct orders of the Young Turks. 此前，英国军队也开始将亚述基督徒从伊拉克北部疏散到英国在其他地区的属地 Some time earlier, British forces had also begun evacuating Christian Assyrian communities from Northern Iraq to British holdings elsewhere. 虽然英国人以人道主义保护者自居 While the British presented themselves as humanit

arian protectors, 但他们在中东的大部分行动也是为了进一步扩大殖民影响 much of their operations in the Middle-east were also inspired by the desire for further colonial influence. 英国和奥斯曼帝国之间的战争一直持续到20世纪20年代 Fighting between the British and Ottomans would continue into the 1920’s 直到两个帝国在黎凡特地区划定了边界 as the two empires settled their borders in the Levant. 在经历了大战的苦难之后 Here, after all the suffering of the Great War, 世界大战的终章在这里演变一场唯利是图的殖民争斗 the last chapter of the Weltkrieg would fade into a cynical colonial squabble. 最终，英国与奥斯曼帝

国的僵局在1920年的耶路撒冷会议上得到解决 Ultimately, the British-Ottoman stalemate would be resolved with the Jerusalem Conference in 1920. 在德意志帝国和美国的支持下 With the support of the German Empire and the United States, 英国和奥斯曼帝国就该地区的新和平达成一致 Britain and the Ottomans agreed on a new peace in the region. 巴勒斯坦、巴士拉和黎巴嫩山周围地区将获得与埃及和塞浦路斯战前地位类似的条约地位 Palestine, Basra, and the area around Mt.Lebanon would get a treaty status similar to the pre-war position of Egypt and Cyprus. 以上全部地区形式上仍是奥斯曼帝国的一部分 Formally, all these areas would

remain part of the Ottoman Empire. 但实际上，作为奥斯曼帝国中央政府的最高朴特被迫放弃了对这些领土的政治控制 In practice however, the Ottoman central government, the Sublime Porte, was forced to cede political control of these holdings. 圣地被置于国际托管之下 The holy land was placed under an international mandate, 以确保其免受奥斯曼帝国的侵略 securing them against Ottoman aggression. 条约还进一步规定了对奥斯曼帝国的战争赔款 The treaty further specified war reparations to be paid to the Ottoman Empire, 归还扣押的奥斯曼战舰 a return of seized Ottoman warships, 以及正式废除奥斯曼债务委员会 and the o

fficial abolition of the Ottoman Debt Council. 奥斯曼帝国这边的最后的倒刺是谢里夫侯赛因·本·阿里的阿拉伯叛乱 One final thorn in the Ottoman’s side was the Arab revolt of Sharif Hussein bin Ali, 事实证明这些叛乱分子即使一穷二白也是十分坚定的战士 whose insurgents proved particularly determined fighters, even with little means. 1919年，阿拉伯人攻占了麦地那 In 1919, the Arabs had taken Medina, 并在那里残忍地屠杀了十分之一的奥斯曼残余驻军 where they brutally slaughtered a tenth of the remaining Ottoman Garrison. 但是，随着战争在其他各条战线上的结束 But, with the war ending on all other fronts, 剩余的起义军无法单独对

抗奥斯曼帝国的全部兵力 the remaining insurgents could not stand alone against the entire mass of the Ottoman Army. 到1920年底，阿里的起义被粉碎了 Towards the end of 1920, Ali’s revolt had been crushed. 独立的拉希德王朝和沙特王朝在起义过程中曾与最高朴特渐行渐远 The independent Rashidi and Saudi dynasties, which had drifted away from the Sublime Porte during the revolt, 如今再次屈膝投降 now bent the knee once more. 尽管困难重重，奥斯曼帝国还是苟活到了20世纪20年代 Despite all odds, the Ottoman Empire had survived to live into the 1920s. 从1911年意土战争爆发到1920年阿拉伯起义结束 From the outbreak

of the Italo-Turkish War in 1911 to the end of the Arab Revolt in 1920, 9年来持续不断的战争让这个曾经伟大的帝国退化成了一个由封建属国和流氓势力拼凑而成的政权 9 years of continuous war had reduced the once mighty Empire to a patchwork of feudal dependencies and rogue forces, 仅靠穆斯塔法·凯末尔的权威才能勉强维持 barely held together by Mustafa Kemal’s authority. 奥斯曼帝国理论上赢得了它参加的每一场战争 The Ottoman Empire had won every war it had partaken in, but only on paper. 但事实上，科斯坦丁尼耶只是在外国调停下才能结束大部分战争 In truth, Constantinople only navigated an end to her many wars under

foreign mediation. 土耳其人获得的和平，是以遭到国际羞辱和昔日盟友背叛为代价的 The Turks would have peace, but only after being humiliated internationally and betrayed by her former allies. 这个曾经骄傲的帝国被迫放弃领土和权威 The once proud empire had been forced to give up territory and authority, 换来的只是微薄的回报 and gained only pittances in return. 此外，整整十年战争的创伤不会轻易愈合 In addition, the wounds of a decade of war would not heal easily. 武装集团在阿拉伯半岛四处游荡 Armed tribes roved the Arabian peninsula, 根本不把奥斯曼帝国自以为是的威信放在眼里 paying little to no mind to Ottoman

pretensions of authority. 高加索地区回到对柏林极为有利的现状 The Caucasus returned to a status quo that heavily favored Berlin. 南黎凡特已成为事实上的西方殖民地 The Southern Levant had become a Western colony in all but name. 事实上，奥斯曼帝国并没有以病夫形象死去 In truth, the Ottoman Empire had not died a sick man, not truly. 帝国只是进入了一种假死状态 The Empire had simply entered a state of suspended animation, 尽管整个体制都失能了，但仍然苟延残喘了下来 and survived despite the failure of all her institutions. 西方报纸不再称奥斯曼帝国为“欧洲病夫”了 Western newspapers no longer called the Otto

man Empire ‘the sick man Europe’. 最高朴特现在 Now, the Sublime Porte was simply referred to 只被称为“失败国家” as ‘The Failed State’ 塔利亚，我的花儿，我的花朵（çiçeğim） Talya, my flower, my çiçeğim. 结果我有时会想，这场大战到底为我们带来了什么？ In the end, I sometimes wonder what the Great War really accomplished for us? 在黎凡特沙漠中 Out in the Levantine Deserts, 当我们每天出发去保卫另一个被袭击的定居点 as we set out daily to police another raided settlement, 记录另一列被炸毁的火车时 log another bombed train, 我觉得我们并没有收获多少 I do not believe we have gained much. 村里人称我为老兵、英雄 The vil

lage calls me a veteran, a hero. 但你知道我内心的沉重念头，我的花朵 But you know the dark doubts of my heart, çiçeğim. 我的事业不是英雄，而是屠夫 My career was not heroism – it was butchery. 我很幸运能在战争中活下来 I was lucky to have survived the war, 但那么多更优秀的好男儿却永远留在沙漠中了 when so many better men were left in those desert sands. 我白天和你们在一起 I spend my days with you, 但每天深夜我都会回到黎凡特 but every night I return to the Levant. 我看到我身后有土耳其人、阿拉伯人、希腊人、亚美尼亚人和库尔德人的足迹—— I see a trail of Turks, Arabs, Greeks, Armenians and Kurds lay behind me – 他们都死了 al

l dead, 为了一个不过是遗迹的帝国而战死 fighting over an empire that is nothing but a faded relic. 我累了，花朵 I am tired, çiçeğim. 疲惫的人需要强大的领导者来指引方向 And tired men look for strong ones to guide them. 我把我们的命运交给了凯末尔维齐尔 I cast our fates now with the Vizier Kemal. 所有人都放弃的时候，他还坚持信念 The one man who held faith, when all others gave up. 是他打破了青年土耳其党的腐败统治 The man who broke the corrupt Young Turks, 把英国人赶出我们的家园 and pushed the British from our homeland. 他派我去中东 He sends me to the Middle-East, 去阿勒沙特、埃及、拉希德的地盘 the lands of al-Saud,

Egypt, Rashidi. 在西方，有什么东西在隆隆作响，花朵 There are rumblings in the West, çiçeğim. 那是一种名为工团主义的新思想 A new ideology, Syndicalism, 在我们战败的协约国敌人中传播开来 spreads through our defeated Entente enemies. 战争之风吹向东方，亲爱的 The winds of war blow Eastwards, my love, 一如他们的既往 as they have always done. 我想告诉你，我是为了支持维齐尔、保护我们的土地才接受这份工作 I would tell you I am taking this posting to support the Vizier, to secure our land. 但我们都知道，我只是需要…… But we both know I just need… 我只是需要……时间 I just need… time. 再见了，花朵 Farewell, çiçeğim. 我真希望我是个更坚强的

人 I wish I were a stronger man. 最终，东线的漫长战争在疲惫而非欢庆中结束 In the end, the Long War in the East ended in exhaustion, rather than celebration. 对于东地中海的人民来说 For the people of the Eastern Mediterranean, 20世纪20年代既没有迎来伟大的胜利，也没有帝国的中兴 the 1920s would bring no great triumphs or ascending Empires. 前线陷入了新一轮岌岌可危的僵局 The frontlines had instead settled into new, precarious stalemates. 奥斯曼人和保加利亚人赢得了世界大战的胜利 The Ottomans and Bulgarians had won the Weltkrieg, 但也付出了巨大的代价 but at great cost. 两国都因经济去军事化和德国援助的缓慢减少而苦不堪言 Both

suffered from the demilitarization of their economy, and the slow decline of German aid. 保加利亚虽然实现了领土野心 While Bulgaria had achieved her territorial ambitions, 但也导致国内不稳 it had done so at the cost of internal stability – 将大部分腹地拱手让给各类非国家主体 surrendering much of the hinterland to non-state actors. 早在20世纪20年代 Already in the 1920’s, 该地区名义上的和平似乎只不过是暂时的停火而已 this nominal peace in the region seemed little more than a temporary ceasefire. 在西边，希腊人再次转向他们的鹰派政客 In the West, the Greeks were turning again to their

hawkish politicians, 表示无意遵守凡尔赛条约 showing no intention of honoring the Treaty of Versailles. 在南边，一个新的阿拉伯领导层出现了 In the South, a new Arab leadership emerged 他们看上去更愿意继续侯赛因十年前挑起的长期战争 that appeared more than willing to continue the long war Hussein had started a decade before. 目前来看，伦敦和柏林都打算压制这些紧张局势 Both London and Berlin would keep the lid on these tensions, for now. 虽然奥斯曼帝国收复了一些领土 While the Ottoman Empire had regained some territory, 但也失去了其几块较大领土的主权 it had also lost sovereignty over several of her l

arger holdings. 事实上，这场德国主导下的和平所付出的代价远远超过了他们的收益 In truth, the costs of this German-dominated peace far outweighed their spoils. 除了领土损失外 In addition to territorial losses, 最高朴特还要面对满目疮痍的经济，和瘫痪阿拉伯领土的叛乱等烂摊子 the Sublime Porte was left with a devastated economy and an insurgency paralyzing her Arabian holdings. 在经历了灾难性的高加索进军 After a disastrous Caucasian adventure, 三帕夏的倒台 the fall of the Triumvirate, 以及黎凡特地区屈辱的和平之后 and a humiliating peace in the Levant, 苟延残喘的帝国跌跌撞撞地走进新的十年 the Empire lurched into the new

decade barely clinging to life. 然而，尽管如此 And yet, despite it all, 往好的方面看 there was reason for optimism. 科斯坦丁尼耶没有陷落 Constantinople had not fallen. 通往改革和生存的道路虽然狭窄，但仍未关闭 The path towards reform and survival was narrow, but it was still open. 1919年三巨头的覆灭粉碎了政治上根深蒂固的联合进步委员会 The collapse of the Triumvirate in 1919 had shattered the politically entrenched CUP party, 权力转移到了穆斯塔法·凯末尔和军官团手中 shifting power to Mustafa Kemal and the military staff. 现在，凯末尔在政治上占据了上风，获得了战争大臣的职位 Now politically ascendant, Kemal at

tained the position of Minister of War. 苏丹对他的任命 His appointment by the Sultan represented, 在很多方面都代表着为复兴帝国权威而做出的最后一搏 in many ways, a last-ditch effort to restore any semblance of authority to the realm. 凯末尔一直梦想着将奥斯曼帝国建设为一个现代共和国 Kemal had long dreamt of developing the Ottoman State into a modern republic. 然而，他的努力暂时受到了任性专制的苏丹穆罕默德阻挠 For the time being, however, his efforts were blocked by the willful and authoritarian Sultan Mehmed, 穆罕默德不会轻易忘记在帕夏统治时期被自己政府监禁的愤怒 who would not soon forget the indignati

on of being jailed by his own government during the reign of the Pasha’s. 复辟后的苏丹收紧了君主的权柄 The restored Sultan tightened the grip of the monarchy, 干预政治进程，阻止任何自由立法的苗头 intervening in the political process to block any whiff of liberal legislation. 选举被推迟，对进步政党的打压愈演愈烈 Elections were postponed, and repression against progressive parties was ramped up. 对帝国政策持续不满的希腊人、亚美尼亚人和阿拉伯人走上街头 Greeks, Armenians and Arabs, continually dissatisfied with Imperial policies, took to the streets. 世界大战期间少数族裔遭受的滔天罪行没有得到公正审判

，进一步激化了他们的不满情绪 Their grievances were further fueled by the lackluster trials following the devastating crimes inflicted upon them during the Weltkrieg. 奥斯曼帝国缺乏中央权威 What the Ottoman Empire lacked in central authority, 但它试图用残酷的镇压来弥补 it attempted to make up for in brutal repression. 在帝国腹地，奥斯曼军警与各色叛乱分子作战 In the hinterlands of the Empire, Ottoman military and police forces battled insurgents of all banners. 从要求民主到少数民族独立等对奥斯曼帝国的种种威胁 Threats to the Ottoman State, from calls for democracy to separatist

minority groups, 越来越多地以苏丹的铁拳来回应 were increasingly answered with the iron fist of the Sultan. 然而，这些看似严峻的形势仍有一线生机 However, these seemingly dire circumstances bore a silver lining. 法国和俄罗斯已不再是近东地区的相关强权 France and Russia had ceased to be relevant powers in the region, 因为这两个国家在战后混乱的岁月里都陷入了左翼革命 as both nations had collapsed into left-wing revolutions in the chaotic post-war years. 摆脱外国影响后 Now freed from foreign influence, 科斯坦丁尼耶能够主动将一度由外国持有的企业和基础设施国有化 Constantinople was able to aggressively nationalize

companies and infrastructure once held by foreign owners. 结果是安纳托利亚的主人意外地发现自己处于经济上升期 As a result, the Anatolian homeland found itself in an economic upswing. 法国和俄国正处于革命的阵痛期 With France and Russia in the throes of revolution, 而大英帝国则日薄西山 and the British Empire in decline, 昔日的霸主们无力反抗 the former hegemons were powerless to protest. 在几年的狂热合并中 In a few feverish years of consolidation, 帝国几乎所有的铁路、港口和输电线都被收归到最高朴特手中 almost all of the Empire’s railways, ports and power lines were returned to the rule of the

Sublime Porte. 这些资产带来的税收推动了前所未有的经济繁荣 Tax revenue from these assets fueled an unprecedented economic boom. 更诱人的是奥斯曼帝国石油工业的惊人增长 Even more enticing was the incredible growth of the Ottoman oil industry, 其伊拉克油田为战后德国的经济复苏加满燃料 whose Iraqi oil fields fueled Germany’s economic resurgence after the war. 在奥斯曼帝国巩固国内统治的同时 While the Ottoman Empire consolidated her rule at home, 西边正在酝酿着新的风暴 a new storm was brewing to the West. 凡尔赛条约旨在为巴尔干带来新秩序 The Treaty of Versailles had aimed to bring a new order to the Ba

lkans, 但却未能满足战败国的要求 but failed to meet the defeated nations halfway. 德奥两国一度为条约提供过保证 German and Austrian influence had once guaranteed the Treaty, 但现在两大强权越发淹没于国内危机及国外工团浪潮之中 but both powers were now increasingly absorbed by their own domestic crises and the rise of Syndicalism abroad. 迫使保加利亚和奥斯曼担起维持平衡的责任 This left the onus of guarding the new balance of power to Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire, 但两国都无法真正胜任这项任务 and neither was truly up to the task. 大战结束后，保加利亚成为巴尔干的霸主 After the Great War, Bulgaria ha

d claimed the mantle of hegemon of the Balkans. 控制着马其顿、色雷斯、塞尔维亚及多布鲁加 With much of Macedonia, Thrace, Serbia and Dobruja under its control, 因而保加利亚人必须保证此区域的稳定 it would be the Bulgarians who would have to guarantee stability in this region. 战争结束之际 By the end of the war, 保加利亚向邻国索取并获得了极为可观的领土 Bulgaria had demanded, and received, an incredible amount of territory from her neighbors. 如此要求德国乐见其成 This Bulgarian greed was happily enabled by Germany, 柏林认为索非亚是在巴尔干地区比科斯坦丁尼耶更可靠的合作伙伴 who considered Sofia to be

a more reliable partner in the Balkans than Constantinople. 现在保加利亚沙皇已经有着面向两大海的沙皇国了 Now, the Bulgarian Czar had his Tsardom spanning two seas. 但显然欲壑难填的沙皇不会就此满足 Yet, it was evident that the czar’s eyes were bigger than his stomach. 臃肿不堪，饱经战乱 Bloated and war-torn, 索菲亚政府无法对新领土行使任何有意义的权力 the Sofia government was not able to assert any meaningful authority over her new territories. 塞、罗、希三族持续不断的起义使国家一直动乱至 1924 年 Constant uprisings by Serbs, Romanians and Greeks prevented the nation from finding any se

mblance of normalcy until 1924, 才得以复员至正常状态 when it was finally able to demobilize. 在经济上，“巴尔干的普鲁士”已经完全依赖于德国的经济援助 Economically, the “Prussia of the Balkans” had become completely reliant on German economic aid. 政府垮台和重新选举在索菲亚屡见不鲜 In Sofia, governmental collapse and re-elections had become a part of everyday life. 6年间，保加利亚组建和解散了近十二届政府 In 6 years, almost a dozen Bulgarian governments had been formed and dissolved, 其中有些的执政时间甚至不超过一个月 some lasting no more than a month. 更糟糕的是，当国家复员时 Even worse, when the

nation demobilized, 成千上万的士兵失业、破产、生活艰苦 it left hundreds of thousands of soldiers jobless, broke, and bitter. 这些退伍军人转而求助于军人联盟 These veterans turned to the Military League, 这是一个极右翼组织，公开主张推翻保加利亚脆弱的民主制度 a far-right organization that openly desired to overthrow Bulgaria’s fragile democracy. 军人联盟通过所谓的“保卫队”对保加利亚施加压力 The Military League projected its power over Bulgaria through the so-called Ohrana, 这是一个准军事组织，在沙皇国的大部分新领土上都颇有影响力 a paramilitary organization that held sway in much of the Tsardom’s new terri

tories. 实际上，索非亚的中央政府只控制了半个国家 For all intents and purposes, the government in Sofia controlled only half the country, 而另一半国家则拱手让给了保卫队的影子政府 while the other half was surrendered to the Ohrana shadow state. 真正威胁巴尔干稳定的并非来自挣扎中的保加利亚 The real threat to Balkan stability came not from the struggling Bulgarians however, 而是渴望复仇的希腊 but rather from the vengeful Greeks. 希腊提前结束了战争 Greece had ended the war prematurely, 换来一个对自身没那么不利的和平 in hopes of finding a more favorable peace. 结果是，希腊被迫将色雷斯让给保加利亚，将爱琴海岛屿让给奥斯曼帝国 I

n the end, Greece was forced to cede Thrace to Bulgaria and the Aegean Islands to the Ottoman Empire. 此外，还得背负起对同盟国的沉重赔款 Additionally, the Hellenic State was burdened with the hefty weight of reparations, to be paid to the Central Powers. 总的来说，与塞尔维亚、罗马尼亚和俄国所受的严酷待遇相比，这还算是相对温和的结果 All in all, this was a relatively mild outcome compared to the harsh treatment endured by Serbia, Romania, and Russia. 在停战之初，希腊似乎想成为一个奉行孤立主义的君主国 Initially, it seemed like the Greeks were likely to settle into an isolationi

st monarchy. 然而，希腊政治摇摆于接受现实 However, the Hellenic state could swing widely between accepting this new status quo, 与追求统一希腊的超民族主义雄心中— or adopting the ultra-nationalist ambitions of uniting all Greek lands, 即所谓的伟大理想 the so-called Megali Idea. 雅典政府的内部矛盾则在1920年的潘加洛斯危机期间彻底爆发 The instability in Athens came to a head during the 1920 Pangalos crisis, 这场危机几乎使巴尔干半岛再次陷入战争 which nearly tipped the Balkans into yet another Balkan War. 那一年，雅典的民主进程被塞奥多罗斯·潘加洛斯领导的政变推翻 That year, the democratic process in Athens wa

s overturned by a putsch led by Theodoros Pangalos. 乍一看，这位政变领导人支持大希腊国家的理念 At first glance, the coup leader subscribed to the idea of the Greater Greek State. 虽然他有民粹主义的倾向 Despite his populist streak, 但潘加洛斯似乎对完全控制希腊的欲望大于对外交政策的兴趣 he seemed more interested in total control of Greece than he was in foreign policy. 在他上台不久后，潘加洛斯控制了所有政府机构 Not long after his rise, Pangalos seized all Greek institutions, 宣布成立希腊第二共和国 proclaimed the Second Hellenic Republic, 并令自己成为无可置疑的独裁者 and made himself the undisputed di

ctator of the country. 对于最高朴特来说，“希腊的疯狂独裁者”是个大问题 For the Sublime Porte, the ‘mad dictator of Greece’ was a major concern, 当潘加洛斯开始行动之时，这种担忧只会加剧 one that only worsened when Pangalos made his first move. 以军事行动为威胁，他果断地要求保加利亚归还所有希腊领土 Without second consideration, he demanded the return of all Greek territory from Bulgaria under threat of military action. 索非亚当局拒绝了 Sofia declined, 他们认为这不过是雅典当局的虚张声势罢了 believing it could call Athens’ bluff. 至1921年7月 By July 1921, 希腊-保加利亚边境爆发了小规模冲突 skirmishes broke out alo

ng the Greek-Bulgarian border, 世人屏住呼吸，唯恐又一场巴尔干战争的爆发 and the world held its breath, fearing yet another Balkan War. 危机最终因潘加洛斯陷入一场针对他的反政变而告终 The crisis was averted, however, when Pangalos found himself at the short end of a counter-coup. 新的希腊政府迅速缓解了紧张局势，并同意遵守《凡尔赛条约》 The new Greek government quickly deescalated the rising tensions and agreed to abide by the Treaty of Versailles. 虽然帕加洛斯危机的持续时间很短 While the Pangalos crisis was short-lived, 但这位狂人独裁者给希腊留下了深远的阴影 the mad dictator would cast a long shadow

over Greece. 政变和反政变进一步破坏了希腊的政治结构 The coup and countercoup would further destabilize Greek political structures, 并为雅典政权的十年动荡局势铺垫了道路 and set the stage for a decade of turmoil in Athens. 尽管帝国名义上掌控着阿拉伯 Despite nominally controlling Arabia, 但阿拉伯大起义的余烬仍在燃烧 embers of the Arab Revolt continued to simmer. 在中央政府权威的衰弱下，一些奥斯曼的从属国填补了权力的空白 Several Ottoman subjects had filled the void left by waning central authority. 其中，汉志的角色尤为重要 The most important among these was Hejaz, 它在世界大战中发挥了巨大作用 which played a large ro

le during the Weltkrieg. 虽然汉志仍属奥斯曼领土 While still an Ottoman holding, 但它在阿拉伯精神文化中占据了重要地位 Hejaz was culturally important to the Arab spirit. 毕竟，汉志有着伊斯兰的两座圣城— After all, it was the region which contained both of Islam’s holy cities: 麦加和麦地那 Mecca and Medina, 长久以来，对圣地的控制一直是奥斯曼帝国的权力象征 the control of which had long been a pillar of Ottoman power. 在麦加，奥斯曼人可以自诩为乌玛— In Mecca, the Turks could claim to hold the mantle of protector of the Ummah, 全伊斯兰社会的守护者 the global society of Islam. 然而，奥斯曼帝国对这些圣地的影响力正逐渐消退

Despite all this, Ottoman influence had been receding from these holy sites, 取而代之的是新兴的阿拉伯民族主义 being replaced instead by nascent Arab nationalism. 实际上，奥斯曼对其阿拉伯附属国的控制如同建立在流沙之上 In truth, Ottoman control of her Arab client states was built on quicksand. 像汉志这样的阿拉伯附庸对中央政府的忠诚只是停留在口头上罢了 Arab regions like Hejaz paid lip service to the central government, 背地里他们一直尝试摧毁奥斯曼帝国在阿拉伯半岛的统治 while never ceasing their efforts to undermine the authority of the Sublime Porte in Arabia. 汉志并非该地区唯一怀有雄心的阿拉伯力量 Hejaz was not

the only aspiring Arab force in the region, however. 在奥斯曼和英国的影响之外 Outside of the Ottoman and British spheres 独立自主的阿拉伯国家 were the only Arab states that could claim some independence - 仅有北方的拉希德家族领导的舍迈尔山酋长国 the Rashidi-led Emirate of Jabal Shammar to the north, 以及南方由沙特主宰的内志和哈萨酋长国 and the Saudi-dominated states of Nejd and Hasa to the south. 尽管这两个国家名义上都是奥斯曼帝国的附庸国 While nominally, both were tributary states to the Ottoman Empire, 但这两个长期对立的国家的发展前景却截然不同 the outlooks of the two feuding countries was ve

ry different, indeed. 舍迈尔山酋长国坚定地与奥斯曼帝国结盟 Jabal Shammar closely aligned itself with the Ottoman Empire. 该国在世界大战期间以及阿拉伯起义期间保持了对最高朴特的忠诚 This client state had remained loyal to the Sublime Porte during the Weltkrieg, and even during the Arab Revolt. 因这份忠诚，拉希德家族获得了丰厚的回报 For this loyalty, the Rashidi rulers of the Emirate would see handsome rewards. 奥斯曼急切地希望拉希德家族站在他们这边 The Ottoman Empire was keen to keep the Rashidis on their side, 以保护脆弱的帝国南部 as they protected the vulnerable Ottoman South. 然而，向科斯坦丁尼耶效

忠并非没有危险 Kissing the ring of Constantinople was not without its dangers, however. 他们对最高朴特的忠诚让拉希迪家族在阿拉伯世界中备受厌恶 Their alignment to the Sublime Porte made the Rashidis hated in the Arabian world. 内志和哈萨，在极端保守的沙特王朝的领导下 Nejd and Hasa, led by the hyper-conservative Saudi dynasty, 并不像拉希德那样忠于奥斯曼 did not share Rashidi loyalty to the Ottomans. 两个家族在世界大战期间为了半岛的控制而争斗 Both families would feud over control of the peninsula during the Weltkrieg, 却始终未能分出胜负 but a decisive victory never came. 沙特曾希望在阿拉伯起义中得到英国的支持 Th

e Saudis had hoped for British support in the Arab uprising, 结果看到协约国反而支持他们的宿敌——麦加的谢里夫 but saw the Entente back the rivaling Sharif of Mecca instead. 沙特不愿为敌人助力，于是便选择了一条尴尬的中立路线 Not wanting to help their nemesis, the Saudis fell into an awkward neutrality during the war. 他们有时甚至会与奥斯曼站在一边，对协约国支持的汉志发起进攻 At times, they would even side with the Ottomans by launching raids into the Entente-aligned Hejaz. 尽管如此，沙特对他们的盟友并无好感 Still, the Saudi state held no love for their Central Powers associates. 世界大战的结束并未给

内志和哈萨带来任何实质性的收获 The end of the Weltkrieg had gained Nejd and Hasa absolutely nothing, 反而让他们面对一个更为强势的奥斯曼作为对手 save for an even more overbearing Ottoman adversary. 这种停滞和混乱持续困扰着阿拉伯半岛 This stagnation and turmoil continued to mark the Arabian peninsula 直到1925年，力量对比的天平突然倾倒 until the balance of power dramatically shifted in 1925. 也就是被载入史册的英国工团革命的那一年 That year would go down in infamy as the start of the British Syndicalist Revolution. 工团主义革命打破了战后中东的微妙平衡 This Syndicalist revolution would shatter the delic

ate post-war balance in the Middle-East. 长久以来，人们认为不列颠帝国无可匹敌 The British Empire had long been considered unassailable. 即便因欧战之败而受辱 Even after a humiliating defeat in the Great War, 唐宁街十号仍能在庞大的资产、无敌的海军以及金融经济方面宣示其帝国之强大 London continued to project strength around the world through her vast holdings and powerful navy and economy. 伦敦的大手投下阴影 London’s shadow ever loomed over the Levant, 现于黎凡特之上，西方统治下的耶路撒冷通过正式条约向其让步 where it procured concessions through the Western-administrated Jerusalem accords. 这种新现状并不

能持久 This new status quo was not to last. 自欧战结束以来 Ever since the end of the Great War, 德国便致力于打击英国霸权 Germany had been chipping away at British hegemony. 1925年，德皇最终如愿以偿 In 1925, the Kaiser would finally get his wish, 但他恐怕是不想搞成这样的 but perhaps not in the way he would have liked it. 那年，在法国工团主义者的援助下，不列颠全国各地的野猫罢工迅速发展为一场全面革命 That year, wildcat labor strikes across Britain quickly turned into a full-scale revolution, funded by French syndicalists. 革命迅速席卷不列颠群岛，其规模亦令观察家们始料未及 The scale and speed at which the

British Home Isles fell to revolution baffled observers. 工团军队攻克伦敦后 When London was taken by Syndicalist forces, 他们宣布建立了不列颠联盟 they proclaimed the new Union of Britain, 而一众帝国精英则被迫流亡至加拿大 and pushed the imperial elite into exile in Canada. 随着不列颠全境被工团分子所攻克，大英帝国的首级被一刀斩下 The loss of the Home Isles effectively cut the British Empire off at the head, 其国运开始极速衰落 and began a process of rapid decline. 后来几年间 Over the next few years, 伦敦治下的帝国分崩离析，最后只剩下一批保王党联盟争吵不休 London’s Empire would dissolve until it was not

hing more than a squabbling alliance of loyalist remnants. 两个世纪来大英帝国在中东的稳定权力 The British Empire, a stabilizing force in the Middle-East for nearly two centuries, 弹指间灰飞烟灭 seemed to have vanished overnight, 只留下一个巨大的权力真空 leaving a major power vacuum in her wake. 起初，英国霸权的解体给了奥斯曼人一丝慰藉，激励他们完成事业 At first, dissolution of British authority brought some relief to the Ottoman cause. 自1919年世界大战中，英国撤出中东以来 Since the unceremonious retreat of the United Kingdom in the Weltkrieg after 1919, 中东国家就不会把英国人视为可靠的合作伙伴了

few of the Middle-Eastern States had strong ties with the British as a reliable partner. 尽管全球市场的大萧条仍然震撼着奥斯曼帝国 While the global market shock still rocked the Ottomans, 但科斯坦丁尼耶方面早已放弃和伦敦扩大经济往来，而将重心转向柏林和维也纳 Constantinople had long before shifted her economy towards Berlin and Vienna, rather than London. 然而，英国的衰落对地缘政治有着巨大的间接影响 However, the indirect geopolitical impact of Britain’s fall was enormous. 随着中央权威的瓦解 With central authority dissolving, 英国在塞浦路斯、波斯湾 British holdings in Cyprus, the Persian Gulf

, 以及最值得注意的埃及所控制的属地突然成为政治变数 and most notably Egypt became sudden political wildcards. 苏伊士运河不再有主人 The Suez Canal no longer had an owner. 地中海水域不再受到皇家海军的保护 The waters of the Mediterranean were no longer protected by the Royal Navy. 该地区脆弱的平衡被打破了 The fragile balance in the region had been fractured. 在德国人的步步蚕食和大英帝国的崩溃之间 Between the encroaching Germans and the collapse of the British Empire, 东地中海诸国发现自己处于一个风云万变的环境中 the nations of the Eastern Mediterranean found themselves in a constantly shifting environ

ment, 这加剧了未来几十年的政治动荡 fueling political instability for decades to come. 最值得注意的是 Most prominently, 英国在伊斯兰世界的退出，让波斯和埃及彻底摆脱外来干涉 the retreat of Britain’s hand from the Islamic world guaranteed the independence of Persia and Egypt, 这一举措彻底颠覆了中东地区原本岌岌可危的权力格局 forever altering the precarious power balance of the Middle East. 埃及王国摆脱了伦敦的枷锁重获新生 Free from London’s shackles, the resurgent Egyptian Kingdom 志在必得地要超越奥斯曼主导东地中海地区 was hellbent on eclipsing the Ottomans as the dominant force in the Eastern Mediterra

nean. 埃及的自主将产生重大影响 Egyptian self-rule would have large ramifications. 开罗的崛起重新点燃了阿拉伯、亚美尼亚、希腊乃至波斯的民族主义热情 The rise of a challenger in Cairo reignited nationalist fervor in Arabia, Armenia, Greece, and even Persia. 开罗上空的阿拉伯旗帜成为所有阿拉伯人反对奥斯曼帝国的目标 The Arab flag over Cairo became a focal point for all Arabs who opposed the Ottoman Empire, 展示出阿拉伯也是可以有着摆脱帝国主义的可能 and showed that there was a future for Arabia free from imperialist rule. 奥斯曼帝国现在面临一个后殖民时代的新中东 The Ottoman Empire now faced a new, post-colonial M

iddle-east. 英国的威胁已不再，取而代之的则是埃及和波斯 The British foe had now been replaced with a new Egyptian and Persian one. 然而，面对这些新的挑战者 Despite these new challengers, however, 奥斯曼帝国也从英帝国的消亡中获得了不少利益 the Ottoman Empire too gained much from the end of the British Empire. 英国势力虽未直接干涉最高朴特 While the British did not control any parts of the Sublime Porte directly, 但从国际管理的银行和铁路，到近东的国际委任统治当局，其令人厌恶的影响却无孔不入 their hated influence was everywhere, from the internationally administered banks and railways to the Western manda

te states of the near East. 随着皇家军队不再支持伦敦的主张 Without the Royal Army there to back London’s claims, 这些地区大多又回到了奥斯曼的直接统治之下 most of these holdings returned to direct Ottoman control. 对于帝国来说，这将是奥斯曼重建之始 For the Empire, it would be the start of a chapter of Ottoman Reconstruction. 在高加索地区，奥斯曼帝国学会迅速抓住机遇 In the Caucasus, the Ottomans had learned to capitalize quickly on any opportunity. 在这个被现实政治主宰的时代里 This was, after all, an age defined by Realpolitik, 狡猾的德帝国影子常伴其左右 and the perfidious Kaiserreich was never

far away. 英军一撤退，奥斯曼便迅速行动，夺回了上个世纪失去的地盘 As soon as the Royal army retreated, the Ottomans moved quickly to secure concessions lost in the previous century. 短短几月内，他们不仅巩固了塞浦路斯 Within months, the Ottoman army had secured Cyprus, 重新收复了巴士拉 reintegrated Basra, 还吞并了科威特 annexed Kuwait, 并向英属西奈进发 and moved onto the British Sinai. 然而在这里，他们遭到新来到的德国舰队挑战 Here, however, they would be contested by the freshly arrived German Fleet, 这支舰队从苏丹的手中夺走了苏伊士运河 which snatched the Suez canal away from the Sultan’s grasp. 就像科

斯坦丁尼耶一样，柏林也同样急切地填补英帝国留下的空白 Like Constantinople, Berlin was equally eager to fill the void left by the British Empire. 失去苏伊士运河给奥斯曼帝国带来了声望上的损失— Losing the Suez canal to German meddling constituted a loss of prestige – —以及可观的收入损失 and considerable income – for the Sublime Porte. 此类纠纷进一步加深昔日同盟国盟友间的裂痕 Grievances such as these would further fracture the relations between the former Central Power allies. 在殖民争夺战的余波中 In the wake of the colonial scramble, 科斯坦丁尼耶与柏林的关系 relations between Constantinople and B

erlin, 已从高加索战争后的冷淡转变为彻底的对立 already cold after the Caucasus War, became downright adversarial. 尽管如此，英国的衰落从长远来看对奥斯曼帝国是有利的 Despite this, British collapse proved to be beneficial for the Ottomans in the long-term. 外资银行被关闭 Foreign-owned banks were closed, 取而代之的是全新的奥斯曼国家荣誉银行 and replaced by the brand-new Ottoman National Honor bank. 随着外来影响力的退却 With foreign influence receding, 奥斯曼帝国再次得以按照自己的方式成长和发展 the Ottoman Empire was once again free to grow and develop on its own terms. 更重要的是，帝国迅速成为了全球石油出口国 Further

more, the Sublime State was quickly becoming a global oil exporter. 这股源源不断的黑金之流为奥斯曼的重建与现代化提供了丰厚的资金支持 This steady flow of black gold would fund many Ottoman reconstruction and modernization efforts, 也包括一张覆盖广泛的铁路网络 including a sprawling railway network. 工业化的浪潮席卷了整个地区 Industrialization efforts swept across the region, 中东迎来了崭新的时代 and it was apparent that a new age had dawned for the Middle-East. 经济的复苏也带来政治高压的缓解 This economic springtime would bring with it a thaw of the authoritarian Ottoman regime.

1926年初，苏丹穆罕默德六世的铁腕统治结束 By early 1926, the harsh rule of Sultan Mehmed VI came to an end. 他的堂兄，更为温和的阿卜杜勒迈吉德二世继位 The unpopular Sultan was succeeded by his more moderate cousin, Abdülmecid II. 新苏丹迅速展现了他的现代化视角，不但倡议大选 The new Sultan proved his more modern points of view by calling for general elections, 还解除了在1927年对政治组织的限制 and lifted the ban on political organizations in 1927. 在这个不断扩大的政治舞台中，涌现出两大政党 Two parties emerged in this widening political landscape. 战争英雄穆斯塔法·凯末尔将前青年土耳其残党纳入他的奥斯曼人民党 Mustafa Kemal,

the decorated war hero, absorbed many remnants of the former Young Turks into his Ottoman Peoples Party, or OPP. 致力于国家的世俗化、集权化和现代化 His growing party was dedicated to secularization, centralization, and modernization. 而自由协约党则成为其主要对手 His main adversary was the Freedom and Accord Party, or FACP, 坚定反对凯末尔的集权化政策 which staunchly opposed Mustafa Kemal’s centralization efforts. 其主张的去中心化和对帝国多元解释 Its promise of decentralization and a more pluralistic interpretation of the Empire 为帝国中长期被忽视的非土耳其族群提供了新的希望 ma

de it an appealing party to the Empire’s non-Turkish population, which had remained sidelined in recent social and economic reforms. 没有任何一方在1927年选举中取得了决定性的胜利 The elections of 1927 would not see a decisive victory for either party. 自由主义之风虽吹遍奥斯曼帝国 While a liberal wind did sweep through the Ottoman Empire, 集权化与少数民族权利的议题却让公众舆论四分五裂 issues around centralization and minority rights fragmented public opinion. 结果，穆斯塔法·凯末尔 In the end, Mustafa Kemal, 作为最大党派的领袖 as leader of the largest party, 被苏丹任命为大维齐尔 was

appointed Grand Vizier by the Sultan. 尽管没有明确的选举多数派支持 Despite lacking a clear electoral majority, 但凯末尔仍坚定不移地将帝国引上了现代化的道路 Kemal set the Empire onto his path of modernization. 他迅速发展了他那融入了自由主义元素的新式土耳其民族主义统治方法 He wasted no time developing his new brand of Turkish Nationalist rule, with a liberal flair. 国有化经济、放宽审查 The economy was nationalized, censorship laws were loosened, 并且在公共生活的各个维度 and in all dimensions of public life, 将政教彻底分离 Kemal separated state and religion. 然而，凯末尔的世俗化热情为他树立了诸多敌人 Kemal’s fev

erish secularization would make him many enemies, however. 宗教精英、非穆斯林少数民族及非土耳其族群对凯末尔强加的变革兴趣缺缺 Religious elites, non-Muslim minorities and non-Turkish ethnic groups had little appetite for the changes Mustafa Kemal was enforcing. 他的反对者在新的政党中团结起来 His opposition would unite in new parties, 致力于反对凯末尔的世俗化努力 endeavoring to oppose Kemal’s secularization efforts. 更保守的反对派则组建了奥斯曼国防党 The more conservative opposition united in the Ottoman Defense Party, or ODP. 他们与此前的的自由协议党以及一个更激进的主张去中心化的新奥斯曼党并肩作战 They were j

oined by the older FAP, and a new more radical Ottoman Party for decentralization. 虽然这些反对党对帝国的未来抱有各种不同的强烈主张 While each of these opposition parties had strong feelings about how the Empire should function, 但他们却同意联手，以防止凯末尔实现彻底的政教分离 they agreed to work together to keep Kemal from achieving his total separation of religion and state. 在凯末尔的领导下，奥斯曼帝国的生活水平有着普遍的提升 Under Kemal’s term, the Ottoman Empire experienced a general increase in the standard of living. 进口的电子产品，和日益扩展的铁路网络 Imported electronics and

an ever-expanding railway network 继续将安纳托利亚与远离战乱和长期被忽视的边远地区连接起来 continued to connect Anatolia to the vast outlying territories, which had long been scarred by war and neglect. 尽管有这些进步 Despite these advancements, 凯末尔激进和无情的集中化政策对平息阿拉伯土地的动荡无太大作用 Kemal’s aggressive and ruthless centralization did little to abate the unrest in Arab lands. 这种动荡尤其被宗教性质的行政分权奥斯曼党所利用 This unrest was particularly capitalized upon by the religious OPAD, 他们在1931年的大选中击败了凯末尔的奥斯曼人民党 which actually managed to defeat Kemal’s OPP i

n the General Elections of 1931. 新任大维齐尔，哈齐·阿兹姆的任期同样不稳定 The new Grand Vizier, Haqqi al-Azm, would not enjoy a stable tenure either. 他的内阁由所谓的“大联盟”组成 His cabinet was formed of a so-called ‘Grand Coalition’, 这是一个包括更自由派的行政分权党和自由协议党以及保守的人民党成员的广泛联盟 a broad alliance which included the more liberal- minded OPAD and FAP, as well as the conservative OPP. 这些党派在对凯末尔政策的不满上达成了一致，但除此之外几乎没有共同点 These parties were united in their dislike for Kemalist policies, but little beyond that. 实际上，由自由派、非穆斯林少数民族和伊斯兰原教旨主义者拼起来

的联盟从一开始就注定要失败 In truth, the squabbling coalition of liberals, non-Muslim minorities and Islamic Fundamentalists was doomed from the start. 由于缺乏明确的方向，联盟的主要力量都用于削弱凯末尔的支持 Without clear direction, the coalition focused mostly on undermining Kemalist support. 这种对抗性政策让联盟中的自由派感到失望 Such adversarial policies were to the dismay of the liberals in the coalition. 不到一年，阿兹姆政府就崩溃了 Within a year, the al-Azm administration collapsed. 尽管政局动荡，石油依然在流动 Despite this turmoil, the oil kept flowing, 为奥斯曼经济的缓慢复苏提供资金 fund

ing a slow resurgence of the Ottoman economy. 最高朴特开始了更多的铁路扩建活动 The Sublime Porte embarked upon a campaign of even more railway expansion, 并通过改善遥远沙漠地区之间的联系来增强中央权威 increasing central authority by improving the connections between her far-flung desert holdings. 尽管有了这些进步 Despite these advancements, 帝国的存续仍然充满不确定性 Ottoman survival remained far from certain. 在大联盟倒台后，穆斯塔法·凯末尔重新获得了大维齐尔的职位 Mustafa Kemal regained his position as Grand Vizier after the Great Coalition fell, 但他的政治权威再次受到挑战 but his political m

andate was once again shaky. 凯末尔不仅要应对土耳其内部的异议 Not only did Kemal have to contend with dissent in Turkish ranks, 阿拉伯人也开始在政治上组织起来了 the Arabs themselves had begun politically organizing as well. 在行政分权党政府失败的余波中，新的阿拉伯民族主义政党崛起了 New Arab nationalist parties had risen in the wake of the failure of the OPAD-administration, 并得到了埃及特工的热情支持 eagerly supported by Egyptian agents. 在黎凡特，许多人转而支持安东·萨阿德的叙利亚社会民族党 In the Levant, for instance, many turned to Antoun Saadeh’s Syrian Socialist National Party, 该党旨在建立一个摆脱奥

斯曼统治的大叙利亚国家 which aimed for a Greater Syrian state, free from Ottoman dominance. 而帝国在平衡凯末尔主义者和反凯末尔主义者的同时 And while the Ottomans struggled to balance the Kemalists and the anti-Kemalists, 阿拉伯人已经在绘制中东新地图，并秘密与埃及外交官会面 the Arabs were already drawing new maps in the Middle-East and convening with Egyptian diplomats in secret. 阿拉伯臣民从未真正接受过奥斯曼的统治 The Arab tributaries of the Ottoman Sultan had never truly accepted Ottoman rule, 并认为科斯坦丁尼耶与其德国保护者之间日益增长的分歧是他们发动进攻的最好时机 and saw the growing divide between Cons

tantinople and her German protectors as an opportunity to strike. 在西方，至少奥斯曼的边疆已渐归于宁静 In the West, at least, the Ottoman frontier had grown more peaceful. 希腊对既定秩序似有默认 Greece settled into a tacit acceptance of the status quo. 而保加利亚仍深陷巴尔干的政治漩涡中 Bulgaria, meanwhile, was still caught up in Balkan politics, 也无法对最高朴特构成直接威胁 which posed no imminent threat to the Sublime Porte itself. 1930年代，在阿拉伯威胁愈发明显的背景下 In the 1930’s, against the backdrop of an ever more present Arab threat, 帝国则對与德国日益紧张的关系感到十分焦灼 Ottoma

n concerns revolved primarily around rising tensions with Germany. 纵观整个1920年代，德土逐渐沦为表面朋友 Throughout the 1920’s, German-Turkish relations had slowly been relegated to mere theatrics. 昔日的同盟列强装作关系良好 The former Central Powers pretended to be on good terms, 但在最高朴特中，无人对德国的渗透感到满意 but few around the Sublime Porte were truly happy with German encroachment. 实际上，德国一直未曾放弃其现实政治的追求 In truth, Germany had never stopped pursuing their concept of Realpolitik. 柏林凭借其经济实力，不仅对奥斯曼 Berlin leveraged its economic power t

o exert influence on not just the Ottomans, 还对其所有邻国施加影响 but all her neighboring states. 在高加索和埃及，德国建立了雄厚的势力 In the Caucasus, and Egypt the Germans had built a strong presence. 这些亲德国家联同诸如伊朗这样的复仇心切的地区强权 These German-aligned states were joined by revanchist regional powers such as Iran, 共同构筑了对奥斯曼帝国的外交包围网 forming a diplomatic encirclement of the Ottoman Empire. 在历经战乱岁月，以及帕夏时代的种族暴行之后 After the chaos of the war years, and the gruesome ethnic violence of the Pasha’s, 大多数国家对最高朴特的信任仅限于其控制范围之内 most countri

es trusted the Sublime Porte only as far as they were able to contain it. 高加索、伊朗和阿拉伯成为了潜在的危机点 The Caucasus, Iran and Arabia all formed dangerous flashpoints, 任何一处都有可能让奋力求存的奥斯曼帝国四分五裂 each of which could easily dissolve the struggling Ottoman Empire. 所有人都对奥斯曼怀有敌意，而有些人则憎恨德国 All hated the Ottomans, some hated the Germans. 但很少有人同时反对两者——伊朗便是这样的例外 But few – as was the case in Iran, opposed both. 在世界大战的余波中 After the Weltkrieg, 波斯，也就是后来国际社会所认知的伊朗 Persia, later recognized internationally as ‘Iran’, 逐渐成为奥斯

曼帝国在该区域的新对手 grew to be another regional nemesis for the Ottoman Empire. 伊朗对帝国主义势力的敌意，根本上是国防的需要 Much of Iran’s animosity towards imperialist powers was ultimately a matter of national defense. 毕竟，伊朗长久以来一直是英俄的殖民目标 Iran had after all, long been the target of colonialist machinations by the hands of Britain and Russia. 对这些欧洲强国而言 For these European powers, 中亚成了19世纪国家、部落和地区间代理战争的舞台 Central Asia was a staging ground for 19th century proxy wars between states, tribes and regions. 英国和俄罗斯几乎是乐呵呵地进行着暗中较量— T

he British and Russians engaged in their cloak and dagger play almost gleefully – 以所有中亚独立国家为代价玩着他们所谓的“大博弈” playing their so-called ‘Great Game’ at the cost of all independent nations in Central-Asia. 然而，英俄的时代已经终结 The age of Russia and Britain was over, however. 当协约国在世界大战末尾崩溃时 When the Entente collapsed at the end of the Weltkrieg, 随之结束的还有英国对伊朗的名义占领 British nominal occupation of Iran ceased along with it. 这一新获得的独立为伊朗共和国的建立奠定了基础 This newfound independence laid the groundwork for an Iranian republi

c, 但走向民主和稳定的道路将会非常漫长 though the path to democracy and stability would be long indeed. 到了20世纪20年代初，德黑兰的现代主义者与保守贵族之间的长期纷争演变成内战 By the early 1920’s a long-standing feud between the modernists and conservative nobility in Tehran erupted into a civil war. 两个派系为了决定这丝绸之路上的共和国的未来而对峙： Two factions squared off to decide the future of the Silk Road Republic: 沙阿的亲德派卡扎尔支持者对上进步的议会 the Shah’s German-backed Qajar Loyalists and the progressive parliament, the Majlis. 这一次，柏林和科斯坦丁尼耶罕见地在防止伊朗强大上达成共识 Berlin and Const

antinople, for once, aligned on the need to prevent a strong Iran, 并开始力挺沙阿的卡扎尔支持者 and began supporting the Shah’s Qajar loyalists. 20年代，这场苦涩的内战几乎吞没了整个伊朗社会 This bitter civil war engulfed Iranian society during much of the 1920’s. 结果是，人民群起反抗同盟国及其奴颜婢膝的卡扎尔走狗 In the end, the population rallied against the Central Powers and her Qajar lackeys, 这股统一战线将这些受奥斯曼支持的傀儡驱逐到了伊朗的西部边界 and a unified front pushed these Ottoman-backed satellites to the Western fringes of the country. 尽管硕果累累 Despite her victories, 伊朗

却被迫接受妥协，以免遭受柏林的直接干预 Iran was forced to settle or face a direct intervention by Berlin. 最终，奥斯曼帝国夺取了伊朗阿塞拜疆的部分土地 In the end, the Ottoman Empire secured control of parts of Iranian Azerbaijan 并紧紧控制胡齐斯坦的阿拉伯谢赫国 and held on to the Arab Sheikhdoms of Khuzestan. 如同先前的阿拉伯人、亚美尼亚人及格鲁吉亚人一般 Like the Arabs, Armenians and Georgians before, 这种耻辱刻骨铭心 such humiliation could never be forgiven. 对地中海东岸的新生国家而言 For the new, emergent nations East of the Mediterranean, 同盟国和协约国与百年前的“大博弈”并无二致 it was clear that the Central

Powers were no hair better than the Entente and their Great Game a century before. 战后的民主选举却给了保守派政府机会 In Iran, democratic elections after the war would eventually give rise to a conservative government. 不幸的是，这个民选的联合政府随后被阿卜杜勒霍赛因·泰穆尔塔什领导的民粹主义政变所摧毁 This democratically elected coalition would unfortunately be shattered by a populist coup under Abdolhossein Teymourtash. 这位复仇派领袖后来与北方的另一位复仇者— This revanchist faction leader would later make common cause with other revanchists to the North – 萨文科夫的俄罗斯人民共和党

结成联盟 Savinkov’s Motherland party in Russia. 在同盟国内斗的同时 As the Central Powers fought among themselves, 他们的敌人变得越发强大 their enemies only grew stronger. 到了30年代后半 By the second half of the 1930’s, 德国的世界秩序在西方面临革命的工团主义威胁 the German world order was beset in the West by revolutionary syndicalists, 在东方面临复仇的民族主义威胁 and in the East by revanchist nationalism. 虽然德国仍然可以声称在工业和技术上对新对手保持强大的优势 While Germany could still claim to hold a strong industrial and technological advantage over her new rivals, 但是奥斯曼帝国没有如此阔绰的资本

the Ottoman Empire had no such luxuries. 苏丹的死敌名单不断增长 The Sultan’s list of mortal enemies was ever growing, 他们在军事和经济上的增长都超过了最高朴特的预估 and they were outpacing the Sublime Porte’s growth both in military and economy. 虽然每一个奥斯曼的邻国都想和帝国算一算旧账 While each Ottoman neighbour had their own scores to settle with the Sublime Porte, 但都没有南方阿拉伯王国对抗苏丹那么激烈 none would challenge the Sultan more openly than the Arab Kingdoms to the South. 于1925年获得独立后，埃及王国对奥斯曼帝国采取了沙文主义立场 The Egyptian Kingdom, after gaining independence

in 1925, had taken a jingoist stance against the Ottoman Empire. 开罗宣称自己是乌玛，即全世界穆斯林的捍卫者 Cairo had claimed the mantle of defender of the Ummah, the global Islamic movement. 德国试图调解两国间的紧张关系，但效果勉勉强强 Germany would mediate these tensions, but only reluctantly. 奥斯曼人只能眼睁睁地看着埃及国王集结军队，将苏伊士地区军事化 In truth, the Ottomans could only watch as the Egyptian King built up his forces and began militarizing the Suez area. 更加令人担忧的是，以埃及为首阿拉伯联盟 And more worryingly, Egypt’s Arab alliance. 埃米尔阿卜杜勒·阿齐兹·伊本·沙特在利雅得密切关注着奥斯曼人的

一举一动，寻找软肋 From Riyadh, the seat of Emir Abdualaziz ibn Saud, the Ottomans were watched closely for any sign of weakness. 尽管诸多势力都在静待时机，打算趁奥斯曼人疲软之际反抗他们 While many weighed their chances against the weak Ottomans, 但很少有谁像盘踞在内志与哈萨的沙特家族那样咄咄逼人 few did as aggressively as the Saudis of Nejd and Hasa. 早在1929年，他们就开始对奥斯曼帝国在阿拉伯、美索不达米亚和黎凡特的定居点发动袭击 Already in 1929, they had taken to raiding Ottoman settlements in Arabia, Mesopotamia and the Levant 以破坏科斯坦丁尼耶在这些地区的权威 to undermine Constantinople’s authority in the

se holdings. 边境冲突变得司空见惯 Border clashes had become common, 而科斯坦丁尼耶则是迅速将这些事件解释为“治安活动” though Constantinople was quick to cover up such regional clashes as policing actions. 更令人担忧的是，英法两国的工团主义者也开始在该地区活动 Even more concerningly, the Syndicalists of Britain and France had begun showing up in the region as well. 伦敦和巴黎将奥斯曼帝国视为帝国主义的薄弱一环 London and Paris saw the Ottoman Empire as the weak underbelly of the imperial establishment, 希望奥斯曼的垮台能燃起一轮世界革命之火 and hoped Ottoman demise would fan the flames of their Wo

rld Revolution. 两国采取的措施比德国更谨慎，但破坏性并不亚于德国 French and British actions were more subtle than Germany’s, but no less damaging. 事实上，工团主义者并不打算让阿拉伯国家加入其社会主义事业 In truth, the Syndicalists were not out to convert any of the Arab states to their socialist cause. 在中东，新成立的第三国际着重于强调反殖民主义政策 In the Middle-East, the new Internationale instead pursued a policy of anti-colonialism, 积极煽动殖民地冲突，让本就捉襟见肘的德意志帝国更为分身乏术 seeking to actively escalate colonial conflicts to distract the overstretched German Empire. 到20世纪30年代初，

大多数阿拉伯国家都开始公开争夺奥斯曼帝国的边界 By the start of the 1930s, most Arab nations had begun openly contesting Ottoman borders. 与第一次阿拉伯起义不同 Unlike during the First Arab Revolt, 这次起义得到了以埃及为首的阿拉伯世界大国全力支持 this uprising was now fully supported by regional Arab powers, with Egypt at the helm. 雄心勃勃的宗教领袖呼吁组建起一支强大的阿拉伯军队 Ambitious religious leaders called for the formation of a great Arab army, 即所谓的圣战者联盟 an alliance of so-called Mujahideen. 长期以来一直保障着阿拉伯腹地稳定的德国选择保持沉默 Germany, long a guarantor of stability in the Arabia

n hinterlands, was silent. 看来在阿拉伯问题上 It seemed that, in the Arabian matter, 德皇似乎不愿倾向任何一方 the German Kaiser would not take a side. 奥匈帝国和保加利亚则忙于内政 Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria were absorbed by internal politics, 大英帝国也已成为遥远的记忆 and the British Empire had become a distant memory. 奥斯曼帝国在这个新世界里孤立无援，四面受敌 In this new world, the Ottoman Empire was alone, and surrounded by enemies. 第二次阿拉伯起义的爆发已是板上钉钉，众所皆知的事情 The Second Arab Revolt would come, this much had become undeniable. 问题只剩下谁将领导起义，以及何时开始起义 The outstan

ding questions were simply who would lead the Arab insurrection, and when. 虽然所有的阿拉伯国家都知晓解放阿拉伯世界的必要性 While all Arab states agreed on the need for Arab liberation, 但对于尘埃落定后由谁来统治新的阿拉伯土地，人们争论纷纷 there was much contention as to who would rule these new Arab lands after the dust had settled. 会是内志-哈萨的瓦哈比派激进分子吗？ Would it be the Wahhabist radicals of Nejd and Hasa? 还是舍迈尔山的投机派埃米尔？ The opportunistic emir of Jabal Shammar? 抑或是埃及像历史上一样重回权力舞台上的地位，？ Or would Egypt reclaim her historic seat at the table of power

? 没有谁比内志的埃米尔更擅长政治游戏了 None played the political game better than The Emir of Nejd. 内志不仅在地理上与可能的合作伙伴隔绝 Not only was Nejd geographically isolated from possible partners, 阿拉伯人更是被拉希德家族——这个奥斯曼帝国的可靠盟友所束缚 but the Arab nation was also tied down by the House of Rashid, a reliable ally of the Ottoman Empire. 内志保持了忠诚的表象，继续向科斯坦丁尼耶进贡 Feigning loyalty, Nejd continued to pay tribute to Constantinople. 然而，当苏丹将注意力转向别处时 When the Sultan wasn’t looking, however, 内志的统治者阿卜杜勒阿齐兹·伊本·沙特向各地的阿拉伯叛军传播了他激进的瓦哈比主义观念 the Nejd le

ader Abdualaziz ibn Saud spread his radical Wahhabist worldviews to Arabian rebels everywhere. 但他并不是唯一一个野心勃勃的阿拉伯领导人 He was not the only Arab leader with ambitions, however. 在北方，舍迈尔山的埃米尔正在权衡自己的选择 To the north, the Emir of Jabal Shammar weighed his options. 埃米尔沙特·本·阿卜杜勒·阿齐兹·拉希德敏锐地意识到自己领地的局限性 Their leader Emir Saud bin Abdualaziz al-Rashid was keenly aware of his nations’ limitations. 历史上，拉希德家族和奥斯曼人是亲密的盟友 Historically, the Rashidis and the Ottomans were close allies. 作为拱卫奥斯曼领土南翼的回报 In return for se

curing the Sublime Porte’s Southern flanks, 他们得以接待成千上万步行前往两座圣城的朝觐者 they were granted the concession of hosting the thousands of pilgrims who passed to the holy Arab cities on foot. 然而，随着奥斯曼铁路网的扩张 With the expansion of the Ottoman Railway Network, however, 朝觐者纷纷绕过了这个日益孤立的沙漠埃米尔国 pilgrims circumvented the increasingly isolated desert emirate. 舍迈尔山正站在十字路口上 Jabal Shammar stood at a crossroads. 如果他们在悄然迫近的阿拉伯战争中支持最高朴特 If they supported the Sublime Porte in the coming Arab War, 也许科斯坦丁尼耶会给予他们丰厚的奖赏 Consta

ntinople might reward them richly. 但如果他们揭竿而起 If they rose up however, 就能在一个由阿拉伯人主导的新中东格局中获益 they stood to gain in a new, Arab-dominated Middle East. 20世纪30年代，所有阿拉伯势力都秣马厉兵，枕戈待旦 In the 1930s, all Arab factions embarked upon a militarization campaign 准备与奥斯曼帝国进行一场旷日持久的沙漠战争 that would prepare their armies for a protracted desert war with the Ottoman Empire. 在世界大战期间 During the Weltkrieg, 奥斯曼帝国一直努力控制阿拉伯半岛，对抗英国和零散的阿拉伯起义 the Ottoman Empire had struggled to hold Arabia against the British and a few scatte

red Arab revolts. 因此，统一的阿拉伯联盟迅速成为苏丹最可怕的梦魇 A unified Arab front, then, was quickly becoming the Sultan’s worst nightmare. 参与过上一次起义的老兵们涌向了时刻准备揭起反旗的阿拉伯国家 Veterans from the long insurgency traveled to the preparing Arab nations. 这一次，战争将从四面八方涌向科斯坦丁尼耶 This time, war would come at the Sublime Porte from all sides, 国境内外都将被战火吞噬 both from within and outside her borders. 格鲁吉亚 Georgia. 亚美尼亚 Armenia. 伊朗 Iran. 埃及 Egypt. 希腊 Greece. 阿拉伯 Arabia. 科斯坦丁尼耶被浩如烟海的敌人团团包围 Constantinople was surrounded by an overwhelming

number of enemies, 他们的动机各有不同，但都渴望着摧毁最高朴特 each of which had their own reasons to desire the destruction of the Sublime Porte. 奥斯曼家族的帝国曾统治着自高加索山脉到非洲大陆的土地 Once, the empire of the Osman family stretched from the Caucasus mountains deep into Africa. 但来到1936年，它已经堕落成了一个封建领主们维系起来的松散联盟 By 1936, it had become a waning network of struggling fiefdoms, 仅靠穆斯塔法·凯末尔维齐尔勉强拼凑而成 barely patched together by the vizier Mustafa Kemal. 土耳其人还能在历史的魔爪下坚持多久？ How long still could the Turks hold out against the mauling jaws

of history? 十年前，科斯坦丁尼耶在世界大战中勉强幸存 A decade earlier, Constantinople had barely survived the Great War. 但她能否渡过山雨欲来的沙漠战争，还有待观察 It was yet to be seen whether she would survive the Desert War to come… 兄弟，阿拉伯的战火即将燃起 War is coming to Arabia, brother. 这一仗，我不知道这次奥斯曼帝国还是否能打赢 And this time, I am not sure the Ottoman Empire can win. 我心怀绝望地写信给你 I write you this letter out of desperation. 请务必说服议会 You must convince the parliament, 我们能采取行动的时间已经不多了 for I fear our time to act is running out fast. 长久以来，科斯坦丁尼耶一直未有对开

罗的威胁引起重视 For too long, Constantinople has not seen Cairo as a credible threat. 他们宁可为高加索的细碎琐事或希腊的政治闹剧争论不休 They would rather debate squabbles in the Caucasus or the latest Greek political theatrics, 也不愿面对真正的威胁 rather than face the real threat. 埃及宣称自己是阿拉伯人的守护者 Egypt has declared herself protector of the Arabian people, 而德国正向埃及提供实现其野心所需的武器 and Germany is giving her the weapons it needs to empower that claim. 兄弟，堵在开罗大街上的玩意不是骆驼 The streets of Cairo are not packed with camels, brother, 而是德国佬造出来的坦克大炮！ t

hey are packed with German tanks and artillery. 埃米尔十分擅长秘密发展军队 The Emir is adept at hiding his buildup of forces, 但埃及政府藏匿的订单文件逃不过我部的眼睛 but my department has seen the requisition reports the Egyptian government hides. 埃及用自己的资源交换德国佬的大炮 Egyptian resources are traded for German cannons, 而我们每个月都会丢失三分之一的轻武器 and a third of all the small arms go missing every month. 这些武器流向何处？ Where do they go? 又是谁在守卫帝国南部的边境地带？ Who is protecting the Southern border of our Empire? 兄弟，这不是待在境外的敌人能干出来的 Cousin, this is not a f

oreign enemy. 开罗的特务已然溜进我方内部了 The agents of Cairo are already inside our own house. 我建议先发制人，直接对埃及进行攻击 I’ve recommended a preemptive strike on Cairo. 但科斯坦丁尼耶却依旧饱食终日！ But Constantinople will not move! 等到埃及人真的打过来了 When, not if, the Egyptians inevitably invade, 他们的德国装备会彻底改变战争的局势 their German equipment will make all the difference. 反正德国人也不会直接加入战争 The Germans won’t involve themselves directly in the war, 所以要我说，不如先下手为强！ so if you ask me, better to strike first! 趁着我们现在仍然有空中优势 We still hold the air advant

age. 如果我们先发制人 If we move now, 就能切断前线和尼罗河谷之间的铁路连接 we could cripple their railroads connecting the front to the Nile valley. 我们只有在发动突袭的情况下才有一线胜机 We have a slim chance at victory, but only if we strike. 看在兄弟情的面子上，听听我的话吧！ For the love you bear me brother, heed my words! 你是大维齐尔凯末尔面前的大红人 You are in good standing with Vizier Kemal. 求求你让他看清楚这阵子的威胁 Plead with him to see this threat for what it is. 你的党保卫过安纳托利亚一次 Your party has defended Anatolia once, 那就请你们再保护一次吧 let it do so again. 兄弟，我求求你在议会里支持我的议案 Broth

er I ask you to back my case in the parliament. 如果我们不立刻行动，我不知道—— If we do not act now, I am not sure- 是的 Yes, 密报是真的 the tip was good. 告诉卢梭，开罗当局感谢他在这件事上的帮助 Tell Rousseau that Cairo appreciates his assistance in this matter. 这不过是非常简单的事 It is a simple thing, really. 傲慢的德国人还不知道自己已经落入我们的陷阱了 In their arrogants, the Germans play into our hand eagerly. 这正是帝国主义的致命弱点，不是吗？ That is the problem with imperialists, non? 他们被只会歌颂的佞臣包围着 They spend so long surrounded by smiling yes men, 认为自己是绝不会犯错的 they begin to b

elieve their own infallibility. 高位者只见屈膝者 A man on a high throne sees only kneelers. 混乱是点燃世界革命的火焰 Chaos is the fire from which we will have World Revolution. 让我们迎接红色黎明的到来吧，同志 Let the scarlet dawn come, camarade. 柏林当局会发现，这个新世界正处处 Berlin will find this new world is not so kind… 对抗德意志帝国…… to the Kaiserreich.