As the Spanish influenza affected almost all the world, the Ottoman Empire suffered from it. The geoepidemiology of the Ottoman was vulnerable to epidemic or pandemic diseases. Since it was an active participant of the First World War, it can be said that it was inevitable situation to escape from this devastating pandemic. Probably, the pandemic disease entered into the Ottoman from Europe and it led to cases or death in many places of Anatolia. The armies were so affected from it that this pandemic played a considerable role in the end of the war. So as to prevent this pandemic influenza, some precautions such as closure of public spaces like schools were taken. Much social mobility resulted from wartime caused this epidemic influenza to spread world widely easily. In order to prevent the pandemic, new inoculations and drugs were tested, but these attempts failed to prevent the spread of the flu completely. On account of the fact that present sources are inadequate, it is impossible to say the exact number of dead people of this pandemic. Nevertheless, available primary and secondary sources give us to estimate the impact of this pandemic disease on the Ottoman Empire.

Türkiye'deki aşı araştırmaları ve üretimi bilim ve teknoloji bağlamında arzu edilir seviyelerde değildir. Buna karşın, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu son dönemindeki aşı araştırmaları ve üretimindeki gelişmeler dikkate alındığında bugün Türkiye'nin bu alanda yetişmiş insan gücü ile Dünya'da daha iyi bir mertebede olması beklenirdi. Bu beklentiden hareketle, ülkedeki XVIII. ve XIX. yüzyıl merkezli aşı faaliyetlerinin ortaya konulması ihtiyacı ortaya çıkmaktadır. Bu amaca yönelik olarak hazırlanan bu makalede; Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nda XVIII. ve XIX. yüzyıllardaki çiçek aşısı ve kuduz aşısı hususlarındaki çabalar ve sonuçları Batı'daki bilimsel gelişmelerle karşılaştırılmalı olarak bilim ve teknoloji ekseninde örneklemelerle kısaca açıklanmıştır. Konu, alanında öne çıkan Türk bilim insanları vasıtasıyla zenginleştirilmeye çalışılmıştır.

Supply of military weapons, equipment, spare parts and ammunition had always been of a crucial importance for the Ottoman Empire. This issue came to be a part of an international diplomacy from 19th century onwards when the Ottoman governments were forced into a position to choose allies from European Powers who were in rivalry in providing military materials. Many companies from France, England and Germany competed with each other in order to have the greatest share from the military supplies market in the Ottoman Empire. Such German companies as Krupp, and Rheinische Metallwaren und Maschinefabrik in Düsseldorf; French company Sxneider/Le Creusot; and British Armstrong/Vickers Company were among them. However, German weapon companies stood out in meeting the needs of the Ottoman military. In the reign of Abdulhamid II, the German company of Krupp came forward in selling artillery weapons in particular after the 1880's, and turned out to be the dominant power in the end of the century, while the other German companies dealt in the various other military materials such as rifles, ammunitions, spare parts, wagons, factory workbenches. Levazımat-ı Umumiye Dairesi (General Supplies Department) which functioned as attached to the Harbiye Nezareti (Ministry of War) during the early years of the 20th century was in charge of the supply and distribution of primary materials which were necessary for the provisioning of the army. This department was not only involved in the provisioning and equipment of the army during the WWI, but played an important role in procuring the technical equipment for the setting up and development of military factories as well as establishing connections and cooperation with Germany to this end, through its branches. It is possible to reach many correspondences about these cases in ATESE Archives which is attached to the General Staff. This study aims to provide some examples concerning the activities of the above-mentioned department and military factories and procuring the wartime equipment in particular, based on the primary sources.