Four years into the Great War, the central powers were victorious in the East, but still struggling in the West.

When the end came, though, it would come like tumbling dominoes as the four nations in the Coalition gave up one by one, from the weakest to the strongest.

And it seems almost inevitable, in hindsight, that the collapse would begin in the same region where the war itself began, in the Balkans.

Welcome to the history of the 20th century.

The Welcome to the history of the 20th century. Episode 167, the Armistice of Mudros.

We're going to begin with the Ottoman Empire today.

I'd like to start by reminding you of those heady days of 1916, the year of Verdun, of the

song, and of the Brusilov offensive. Only let's consider 1916 from the perspective of

Constantinople and examine the ledger. On the minus side, the Russians have advanced a deep

into eastern Anatolia, and Turkish efforts to

challenge British control of the Suez Canal have been frustrated. On the plus side, the British

invasion of Gallipoli failed, and the Turkish army is besieging General Townsend's mostly Indian

army at Coot in Mesopotamia, and as you know, Koot will fall in April.

The entry of Bulgaria into the war last October opened communication and transportation

links between the Empire and its European allies at Germany and Austria.

On the whole, though, the war was going about as well for the Ottomans as you could reasonably expect.

It has seemed as if the Ottoman Empire has been living unborrowed time for more than a half century,

and now it appears to have slipped the noose once again.

But how long can the Turks expect to keep this up?

They have humbled the British twice, but the British are in no sense defeated.

The Russian army in the East is still a problem.

You'll recall the Ottoman call for jihad against the Allies, and how that was not very successful.

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