Mustafa Aksakal

Georgetown University

Mustafa Aksakal is an associate professor of history at Georgetown University, where he teaches courses in Ottoman and Modern Turkish history. He is the author of The Ottoman Road to War in 1914 (2008), a study of internal reasons for the empire's decision to join the war on Germany's side.

His current book project, Ottoman Society at War, investigates military and civilian life during wartime in the empire's final decade. Recently he held fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, and the American Council of Learned Societies.

Featured Work

Detail from Ottoman Road to War book cover

OCT 15, 2014 Article

The Ottoman Road to War: Mustafa Aksakal on the Ottomans' Fateful Decision

Why did the Ottoman Empire side with Germany in World War I? It was a rational decision, given the circumstances at the time, argues Aksakal. ...