Distant Ties: Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and the Construction of the Baghdad Railway

Distant Ties: Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and the Construction of the Baghdad Railway

I first encountered the Baghdad Railway nearly a decade ago while traveling in the cramped quarters of an otherwise affordable wagon across the Turkish plains. At the time, the railway's complex history was the furthest thing from my mind; I was far more concerned with the fact that the slow-moving "express" train had failed to live up to its name. By the time I reached my destination, I vowed to forego the train on my return journey home and take the bus instead.

I later came across a simple, century-old photograph that sparked my interest in the railway's history. The photo showed a crowd posed politely behind lamb carcasses that had been strewn conspicuously across a lonely pair of rails. This diverse crowd of onlookers—distinguishable by their varied headgear of turbans, fezzes, and felt top hats—melded seamlessly together in celebration of the grand opening of the Baghdad Railway's first section. Although the photo's caption described the "Berlin-Baghdad" railway as a stunning achievement of German imperialism, the crowd in the photograph (and my personal experiences in the countries involved in its construction) alerted me that a fascinating story of the railway's construction had yet to be told...