A Peripheral Episode or a Strategic Factor? On the Issue of the Influence of the Struggle between the Russian and Ottoman Empires in the Black Sea on the Course and Outcome of the First World War

An attempt is made to analyze the influence of the confrontation between the Russian and Ottoman navies on the course and outcome of World War I. The author’s attention is focused on the influence of military actions in the Black Sea on the economic and partly sociopolitical situation in Russia and Turkey. It is concluded that the results of the struggle in the Black Sea, mainly the actions of the opposing navies on sea supply routes, largely catalyzed economic and political problems in the Russian and Ottoman empires, which ultimately led to their military defeat and subsequent collapse.