Middle East WW1

Question 1

What were Britain’s main interests in the middle east prior to the outbreak of war?

Answer 1

• The Suez Canal

- Oil in Persia

Question 2

How had the Ottomans threatened British colonial interests in Egypt prior to the war?

Answer 2

The Ottomans wanted to expand control into the Sinai desert and constructed the Hejaz Railway in 1904. Britain sent a fleet to intimidate Instanbul. This led to the agreement for Ottoman influence to be limited as far west as Palestine

Question 3

When did the British navy adopt oil as their main fuel?

Answer 3

1913

Question 4

What was the extent of British control over oil in Persia? What did they plan to do?

Answer 4

They had a controlling interest in the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. This company in turn had a 50% share in the Turkish Petroleum Company.
They planned to build a pipeline from Iraq to the Mediterranean.

Question 5

Why was Persia split into three zones in 1907 by Britain with Russia?

Answer 5

• To regain political stability there after the 1905 revolution
• To protect the routes into Britain’s South East-Asian Colonies
• To prevent further Russian expansion of influence
• To counteract German influence

Question 6

What was the threat of Germany in Persia?

Answer 6

They began building the Berlin-Baghdad railway in 1903. From here, they intended to build a port in the Persian Gulf (at Basra). This would allow them to avoid using the Suez Canal and improve relations with the Ottomans.

Question 7

What was Britain’s first move in the middle-east after the Ottoman’s declared war?

Answer 7

They sent in an Anglo-Indian army to Basra (port near Kuwait) to secure British oil interests in Persia.

Question 8

What happened in February 1915 to the Suez Canal?

Answer 8

It was attacked by the central powers but the attack failed

Question 9

When were the Gallipoli landings? How did they affect British influence in the middle east?

Answer 9

April 1915
The did not increase British influence in Anatolia because they were a large failure. Resulted in deaths of British, Australian and New Zealand soldiers.

Question 10

What did the Anglo-Indian Army at Basra attempt to do in 1915/1916? When and where were they cut off?

Answer 10

The Anglo-Indian Army attempted to reach Baghdad from Basra to weaken the power of the Ottomans and Germans. However, they were cut off at Kut-el-Amara in April 1916 before they could reach Baghdad.

Question 11

What did the surrender at Kut-el-Amara lead to?

Answer 11

The appointment of General Maude as commander of the Anglo-Indian army. He assembled a force of 150,000, modernised the port at Basra and improved transport in the region.

Question 12

Who became the commander of the Egyptian Expeditionary Forces in mid 1916? What was his plan?

Answer 12

General Murray

He planned to invade Palestine

Question 13

When did General Maude capture Baghdad?

Answer 13

11th March 1917

Question 14

What happened with Murray’s two attempts to take Gaza with the EEF?

Answer 14

They failed

Question 15

Who replaced General Murray following his defeats in Gaza? When did he succeed in taking Jerusalem?

Answer 15

General Allenby

December 1917

Question 16

Why did the British want to capture Jerusalem?

Answer 16

To serve as a morale boost for its soldiers

Question 17

What happened to the composition of Allenby’s troops in 1918?

Answer 17

They changed as half of them were recalled to the Western Front. This meant more empire troops were used to support him e.g. from India, Burma and the West Indies

Question 18

Which two cities did Allenby take in October 1918?

Answer 18

Damascus and Aleppo

Question 19

List all the territories which Britain occupied as a result of expansion during the war

Answer 19

Iraq, Palestine, Trans-Jordan, Syria and Lebanon

Question 20

What was the economic advantage of controlling Lebanon and Syria?

Answer 20

The mediterrean ports which it provided. This would be useful for transporting oil.

Question 21

When did Sharif Hussein ally with France and Britain against the Ottoman government?

Answer 21

October 1916

Question 22

Why had Sharif Hussein began embracing Arab nationalism in the war?

Answer 22

Since he opposed the centralisation policies of the three Pashas who had seized power in 1913. This threatened his own power base in the Hejaz (specifically Mecca).

Question 23

What did the allied powers promise Sharif Hussein in return for his collaboration?

Answer 23

An Arab empire spanning between Egypt and Persia (excluding imperial possessions and interests in Kuwait, Aden and the Syrian coast)

Question 24

When and where did Arab nationals help contribute to the British war effort?

Answer 24

In 1916, they helped the British take Mecca, Jidda, Rabegh, Yenbo and Qunfida
In July 1917, they took Aqaba
In November 1917, they raided in the Yarmouk River valley which helped Allenby’s offensive in Palestine

Question 25

When and where did residents fight off Arab nationals? (showing the limitations of Arabn nationalism)

Answer 25

Karak in July 1917

Question 26

What did British intelligence reports suggest about Arab nationalism East of the Jordan river by late 1917?

Answer 26

That most of the tribes there were pro-Ottoman and hence the Arab nationalist movements there were weaker

Question 27

When did T.E. Lawrence begin working wit the Hashemite forces as a young officer?

Answer 27

October 1916

Question 28

What example shows how Lawrence was able to convince the Arab leaders to co-ordinate actions with the British?

Answer 28

He got them to attack the Hejaz railway line instead of Medina directly which had failed in both June and October previously (1916)

Question 29

Which port was seized in July 1917 under Lawrence’s organisation with the Arabs? What did Lawrence do following this?

Answer 29

Aqaba
Lawrence then rode to Suez to organise the delivery of food and supplies for the 2500 Arabs in Aqaba through the Royal Navy.

Question 30

Where did Lawrence launch a raiding party in November 1917? How did this help Allenby’s offensive into Palestine?

Answer 30

The Yarmouk River Valley

This raid succeeded in ambushing and destroying the train of General Pasha (a commander of the Ottoman VII Corps)

Question 31

When was the McMahon-Hussein agreement? What did it state?

Answer 31

October 1915

Promised that “purely Arab” land held by the Turks would be returned to Arab nationals at the end of the war.

Question 32

What was the reason for the McMahon-Hussein Agreement?

Answer 32

To encourage Arab people to rise up against Ottoman Empire to open up a third front in the war

Question 33

What did the McMahon-Hussein agreement mean for control of Palestine?

Answer 33

Meant the Arabs thought that they should have control of Palestine after the war (they deemed it “purely Arab”). The British however disputed this and saw different religious groups to exist in Jerusalem

Question 34

When was the Sykes-Picot Agreement? What was agreed upon?

Answer 34

May 1916
Mainly agreed French and British spheres of control and influence in the Middle East after the war. France was to have Syria, Lebanon and Turkish Cilicia. Britain was to have Palestine, Jordan, and the Persian Gulf. Jerusalem would be governed by an international administration.

Question 35

What was the reason for the Sykes-Picot Agreement?

Answer 35

To strengthen the Anglo-French alliance

Question 36

What was the impact of the Sykes-Picot agreement?

Answer 36

It was not fulfilled in the peace agreements so was slightly limited. It did however anger the Arab people who distrusted the British and French governments more as a result of this.

Question 37

When and what was the Balfour Declaration?

Answer 37

November 1917
Letter from Balfour (Foreign Secretary) to Lord Rotschild (influential leader of the British Jewish Community). Promised that the government would aim to make Palestine a national home for Jewish people. It would however respect the non-Jewish communities in the region. Declaration was supposed to be passed onto the Zionist Federation

Question 38

What were Britain’s reasons for the Balfour Declaration?

Answer 38

• Gain US sympathies as an ally since two of Wilson’s close advisors were Jewish
• Attract continued Russian involvement in the war as some revolutionaries had a Jewish heritage e.g. Trotsky
• Attract Jewish financial resources e.g. from the Rotschilds
• Ensure a neutral party (the Jews) had control in Palestine to protect British interests in the Suez.