With the assassination Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, on June 28th 1914, and the outbreak of the Great War in Europe, the Ottoman Empire was dragged into the conflict due to a secret alliance with the German Empire. Now the sick-man of Europe must fight for its survival against the forces of the Entente along with their regional allies. In the sands of Arabia and the rugged mountains of the Caucuses, the destiny of Empires and nations will be decided. When discussing the First World War the Middle Eastern theatre is often looked over but the results of the conflict are still impactful to the present-day states within the near-east.
The Ottoman Empire has existed as the leading power in the Middle East for Centuries. Unfortunately this will not be a war against small tribes and rebellious vassals, this will be a war against the greatest militaries of the World. The Ottomans have not become industrial yet and the issue of being underdeveloped against the British and Russian militaries will be a severe hurdle. The revolts of the native Arabs are starting to grow and the Young Turks have gained traction within the Anatolian provinces of the Empire. Not only are the Ottomans struggling from internal threats but the Russians and Armenians have been pushing through Persia, while the British and Arab Tribes have fought for control of Basra and the Suez Canal. The Situation may look dire for the Ottoman Empire but they are not alone in this war. German intelligence has been inciting rebellions in Persia and Afghanistan and the Senussi rebels have taken control of Western Egypt. In order to survive the Great War, the Ottoman Empire must deal with its internal issues in order to present a unified force against the foreign invaders.
Chair: John Ruela
John is a junior majoring in History and Religion, as well as minoring in Middle Eastern Studies. He is a member of SHUNA, Seton Hall’s competitive Model UN team, and served on its executive board as Member at Large his sophomore year. Hailing from Stafford Township, New Jersey, John enjoys staying up too late and wandering campus when no one else is around. In his free time, he plays video games, reads way too much Kurt Vonnegut, drives aimlessly, and watches low budget movies. He is chairing the Ottoman Empire side of the WWI: Middle East Theater and hopes to have a successful committee that will make HallMUN a memorable experience for everyone involved. You can email him at any time with questions about the committee at john.ruela@student.shu.edu.
Crisis Director: Jake Halderson
Jake is a third-year undergraduate student studying International Relations and History with minors in the French Language and Economics. He is this year’s Training Coordinator for Seton Halls model UN club. He is extremely excited to be a crisis director in the first ever HallMUN, where he is hoping to run a great committee for everyone involved. Outside of Model UN, Jake enjoys playing video games, watching movies, and working on random construction projects. He is originally from Pennsylvania and loves when he gets the chance to see his dog, his chickens, or kayak on the lake down the street from his house. He is extremely excited for the first ever HallMUN! Feel free to contact Jake about the committee at jake.halderson@student.shu.edu
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