Ottoman Military Map of the Battle of the Somme WW1 Empire 1920s France War Army
Ottoman Military Map of the Battle of the Somme, 1916 – “Kroki 10: Autumn Battle, 1916”
Description:
This original Ottoman Turkish military map depicts the Battle of the Somme, one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the First World War. Fought in France in 1916, the battle involved British and French forces against the German Empire and resulted in more than one million casualties.
The map is marked “Kroki 10 – 1916 Sonbahar Meydan Muharebesi” (Sketch 10 – Autumn Battle, 1916). It contains military annotations along both the left and right sides, indicating troop positions, lines of movement, and geographical boundaries. A dated legend in the lower-left corner includes line and dot symbols corresponding to different stages of the campaign, including 1 July 1916 and 1 August 1916.
The Battle of the Somme is also historically significant for the British Army’s first use of tanks during combat in September 1916. This map offers a period Ottoman perspective on a major Western Front campaign, presented through the military cartography and terminology of the era.
Although the exact source book has not been identified, comparison with other maps in the collection depicting battles such as Verdun, Arras, and Flanders suggests that this map may have been removed from an Ottoman Turkish book about First World War battles, possibly published in the early 1920s. This remains an attribution based on the related maps rather than a confirmed publication history.
An appealing historical document for collectors of Ottoman printed material, First World War memorabilia, military history, and maps documenting the major battles of the Western Front.
Key Features:
• Subject: Battle of the Somme, First World War, 1916
• Title on Map: “Kroki 10 – 1916 Sonbahar Meydan Muharebesi” (Sketch 10 – Autumn Battle, 1916)
• Historical Context: British and French forces against the German Empire on the Western Front
• Map Details: Military positions, movement lines, annotations, and a dated legend referencing 1 July and 1 August 1916
• Language: Ottoman Turkish
• Dimensions: 17.7 × 16.6 cm
• Possible Origin: An Ottoman Turkish publication on First World War battles, possibly from the early 1920s; exact source unidentified