Today, people read a newspaper or watch a news channel, and there is always a tragic latest news article on the Middle East. Whether it being a terrorist attack, a declaration of war or an air bombardment; there is always a chaotic trouble. Educators that are interested in Geo-Politics or Politics in the Middle East, try to understand why, but can’t understand the reasoning behind this turmoil. Some of them believe that it was the careless act of involvement from countries outside of the region, while others believe that this problem goes all the way back in the origins of Middle East. For my own understanding of these modern problems, I decided look back to the history of the Middle East. These past few weeks, me and some friends have been studying briefly the Arab Revolt 1916. To add to our research, we watched a well known film called Lawrence of Arabia. This film was long, yet the motion picture was insightful, and it helped me to come to a better understanding of the context of the Middle Eastern problems we see today in the news.
In 1916, Sharif Hussein bin Ali, the King of Kingdom of Hejaz, announced their declaration of war against the nationalistic Ottoman Empire during the course of World War One. The war, also known as the Arab Revolt 1916-1918, spanned through Aleppo in Syria to Aden in Yemen. The rebels weren’t alone, the British and the French collaborated with the Arab revolutionists, by providing them armed forces. One British officer, known as T.E. Lawrence, was sent from Cairo to help the Arab rebels to overthrow the Ottoman power. In that timeframe, Lawrence would become an important figure for the Arab tribes, who were facing a difficult time winning battles against the Ottoman Empire. Lawrence was sent to join Amir Feisal’s (son of Sherif Hussein), tribesmen to establish a solid armed force. But, Lawrence realized that Feisal’s forces were ill-disciplined, making it difficult to have a strong coalition. At first, the main objective was to conquer Medina in Saudi Arabia, but they had to take a different approach if they wanted to succeed. Lawrence believed that, if the rail line was still connected to Medina, then the Ottomans will always collect supplies. Therefore, Lawrence introduced the guerilla warfare concept to infiltrate the rail lines (especially the Hejaz rail line), which were connecting from the northern part of the Middle East and Medina. Throughout the course of the war, the guerrilla tactics proved to be successful.
At the time supplies from Ottomans were imported from the northern part of the Mediterranean Sea to Aqaba, a port on the coast of what is now known as the Palestinian region. The British and French, annoyed because they are limited to the quantity of aid (armed troops and machinery) they can import to the Middle East, ordered Lawrence to alienate light armed Arab tribes to take over the strategic port of Aqaba. This strategic attack was set out to be conducted in 1917; however, it took several months to travel towards the location because of the barren desert along the way. The Ottomans left very few forces in the port of Aqaba, because they to believed that the dessert was a challenging obstacle for an army to cross. Because of their assumptions, Lawrence and his Arab forces proved them wrong. With an army that had light weapons and camels, Lawrence with great success, was able to capture the port.
After the victory, Lawrence was building a profound and meaningful relationship with the Arab tribes. It was too obvious. You would notice, because of his daily Arab clothes, as he quoted “Feisal asked me if I would wear Arab clothes like his own while in the camp. I should find it better for my own part, since it was a comfortable dress in which to live Arab-fashion as we must do.” Lawrence, began to believe that he was part Arab.
His achievement in capturing the port, boosted the Allied forces and moved Lawrence in an important political position. He earned the trust of Sharif Hussein bin Ali and the commanders from the British armed forces. However, during the time frame of the war, Britain and France agreed on a political deal that would totally change the relationship between the Western Countries and the Arabs. Britain and France agreed on to posses the land, one the Ottoman Empire were to deterish. In this agreement there was no say or point of emphasis where the Arab rebels were to possess their part of the land. When Lawrence and the rebels hear about this deal, they were disgustedly astounded by this news. The Arab rebels sat aside and kept their friendly relationship with the British and French unnoticed, and while Lawrence was enraged by his country’s politicians.
In consequence to the classified deal, Lawrence parted away from the British Armed Command to help the Arab tribes to claim what he states is theirs. In 1918, Lawrence and the forces of Faisal, took over the city of Damascus in Syria, and he helped established a provisional Arab Government, but this didn’t last for long. King Faisal’s forces couldn’t sustain the city. There were water and electric shortages, lack of basic resources and people missing proper medical aid. In 1920, The British and French stepped in and claimed the city as a French province. Because of the failure, Lawrence was sent back to England and reestablish his position as a commander in the British Armed Forces. Later in 1935, Lawrence had a severe motorcycle crash, and unfortunately he died.
Lawrence was clearly an important figure in the formation of the modern Middle East. His relationship with the Arab rebels, which were at times chaotic, was unique and friendly. Lawrence was recognized by political leaders as a great commander of a foreign army, being able to defeat a superior force on paper. However, what I find so special about Lawrence, is his loyalness to those who respect him. The Arabs welcomed Lawrence with open mindness and doing all what is possible to adapt his way of being to the Arab culture. Lawrence, acknowledging this welcoming, responded by leading the Arab forces to victory against a strong empire. Following up to a tougher decision, where Lawrence left the British Armed Forces for a while to help the Arab tribes to get what is rightfully theirs. Lawrence knew how to play with fairness and treat smaller friends with the same amount value as big friends. He could have easily sat back with the British Army, and take ownership part of the land; but, he didn’t. I can see a connection between the attitude of foreign countries today, to the attitude they had during the Arab Revolt in 1916. Countries like the U.K. or Russia, find help from Arabs who are willing to accept it, and once they achieve something, they give little or no thought at all to pay back the Arabs some ownership of that achievement. Not all countries or people from foreign countries are like this, but there are few that do consider it. Lawrence was one of the few, and that is why he so greatly known in today’s Middle Eastern History.
What would happen during the British and French colonization in the Arab region is yet to be discovered. This week, my friends and I are going to watch documentaries and read articles on the Colonization in the Palestinian Region. What was discovered last week was an important step to our further research on why there is so much turmoil in Modern Middle East.
In 1916, Sharif Hussein bin Ali, the King of Kingdom of Hejaz, announced their declaration of war against the nationalistic Ottoman Empire during the course of World War One. The war, also known as the Arab Revolt 1916-1918, spanned through Aleppo in Syria to Aden in Yemen. The rebels weren’t alone, the British and the French collaborated with the Arab revolutionists, by providing them armed forces. One British officer, known as T.E. Lawrence, was sent from Cairo to help the Arab rebels to overthrow the Ottoman power. In that timeframe, Lawrence would become an important figure for the Arab tribes, who were facing a difficult time winning battles against the Ottoman Empire. Lawrence was sent to join Amir Feisal’s (son of Sherif Hussein), tribesmen to establish a solid armed force. But, Lawrence realized that Feisal’s forces were ill-disciplined, making it difficult to have a strong coalition. At first, the main objective was to conquer Medina in Saudi Arabia, but they had to take a different approach if they wanted to succeed. Lawrence believed that, if the rail line was still connected to Medina, then the Ottomans will always collect supplies. Therefore, Lawrence introduced the guerilla warfare concept to infiltrate the rail lines (especially the Hejaz rail line), which were connecting from the northern part of the Middle East and Medina. Throughout the course of the war, the guerrilla tactics proved to be successful.
At the time supplies from Ottomans were imported from the northern part of the Mediterranean Sea to Aqaba, a port on the coast of what is now known as the Palestinian region. The British and French, annoyed because they are limited to the quantity of aid (armed troops and machinery) they can import to the Middle East, ordered Lawrence to alienate light armed Arab tribes to take over the strategic port of Aqaba. This strategic attack was set out to be conducted in 1917; however, it took several months to travel towards the location because of the barren desert along the way. The Ottomans left very few forces in the port of Aqaba, because they to believed that the dessert was a challenging obstacle for an army to cross. Because of their assumptions, Lawrence and his Arab forces proved them wrong. With an army that had light weapons and camels, Lawrence with great success, was able to capture the port.
After the victory, Lawrence was building a profound and meaningful relationship with the Arab tribes. It was too obvious. You would notice, because of his daily Arab clothes, as he quoted “Feisal asked me if I would wear Arab clothes like his own while in the camp. I should find it better for my own part, since it was a comfortable dress in which to live Arab-fashion as we must do.” Lawrence, began to believe that he was part Arab.
His achievement in capturing the port, boosted the Allied forces and moved Lawrence in an important political position. He earned the trust of Sharif Hussein bin Ali and the commanders from the British armed forces. However, during the time frame of the war, Britain and France agreed on a political deal that would totally change the relationship between the Western Countries and the Arabs. Britain and France agreed on to posses the land, one the Ottoman Empire were to deterish. In this agreement there was no say or point of emphasis where the Arab rebels were to possess their part of the land. When Lawrence and the rebels hear about this deal, they were disgustedly astounded by this news. The Arab rebels sat aside and kept their friendly relationship with the British and French unnoticed, and while Lawrence was enraged by his country’s politicians.
In consequence to the classified deal, Lawrence parted away from the British Armed Command to help the Arab tribes to claim what he states is theirs. In 1918, Lawrence and the forces of Faisal, took over the city of Damascus in Syria, and he helped established a provisional Arab Government, but this didn’t last for long. King Faisal’s forces couldn’t sustain the city. There were water and electric shortages, lack of basic resources and people missing proper medical aid. In 1920, The British and French stepped in and claimed the city as a French province. Because of the failure, Lawrence was sent back to England and reestablish his position as a commander in the British Armed Forces. Later in 1935, Lawrence had a severe motorcycle crash, and unfortunately he died.
Lawrence was clearly an important figure in the formation of the modern Middle East. His relationship with the Arab rebels, which were at times chaotic, was unique and friendly. Lawrence was recognized by political leaders as a great commander of a foreign army, being able to defeat a superior force on paper. However, what I find so special about Lawrence, is his loyalness to those who respect him. The Arabs welcomed Lawrence with open mindness and doing all what is possible to adapt his way of being to the Arab culture. Lawrence, acknowledging this welcoming, responded by leading the Arab forces to victory against a strong empire. Following up to a tougher decision, where Lawrence left the British Armed Forces for a while to help the Arab tribes to get what is rightfully theirs. Lawrence knew how to play with fairness and treat smaller friends with the same amount value as big friends. He could have easily sat back with the British Army, and take ownership part of the land; but, he didn’t. I can see a connection between the attitude of foreign countries today, to the attitude they had during the Arab Revolt in 1916. Countries like the U.K. or Russia, find help from Arabs who are willing to accept it, and once they achieve something, they give little or no thought at all to pay back the Arabs some ownership of that achievement. Not all countries or people from foreign countries are like this, but there are few that do consider it. Lawrence was one of the few, and that is why he so greatly known in today’s Middle Eastern History.
What would happen during the British and French colonization in the Arab region is yet to be discovered. This week, my friends and I are going to watch documentaries and read articles on the Colonization in the Palestinian Region. What was discovered last week was an important step to our further research on why there is so much turmoil in Modern Middle East.