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The Great War and the Middle East
The First World War in the Middle East swept away five hundred years of Ottoman domination. It ushered in new ideologies and radicalised old ones - from Arab nationalism and revolutionary socialism to impassioned forms of atavistic Islamism. It created heroic icons, like the enigmatic Lawrence of Arabia or the modernizing Ataturk, and destroyed others. And it completely re-drew the map of the region, forging a host of new nation states, including Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia - all of them (with the exception of Turkey) under the 'protection' of the victor powers, Britain and France. For many, the self-serving intervention of these powers in the region between 1914 and 1919 is the major reason for the conflicts that have raged there on and off ever since. Yet many of the most commonly accepted assertions about the First World War in the Middle East are more often stated than they are truly tested.
Robert Johnson, military historian and former soldier, now seeks to put this right by examining in detail the strategic and operational course of the war in the Middle East. Johnson argues that, far from being a sideshow to the war in Europe, the Middle Eastern conflict was in fact the centre of gravity in a war for imperial domination and prestige. Moreover, contrary to another persistent myth of the First World War in the Middle East, local leaders and their forces were not simply the puppets of the Great Powers in any straightforward sense. The way in which these local forces embraced, resisted, succumbed to, disrupted, or on occasion overturned the plans of the imperialist powers for their own interests in fact played an important role in shaping the immediate aftermath of the conflict - and in laying the foundations for the troubled Middle East that we know today.
Robert Johnson, military historian and former soldier, now seeks to put this right by examining in detail the strategic and operational course of the war in the Middle East. Johnson argues that, far from being a sideshow to the war in Europe, the Middle Eastern conflict was in fact the centre of gravity in a war for imperial domination and prestige. Moreover, contrary to another persistent myth of the First World War in the Middle East, local leaders and their forces were not simply the puppets of the Great Powers in any straightforward sense. The way in which these local forces embraced, resisted, succumbed to, disrupted, or on occasion overturned the plans of the imperialist powers for their own interests in fact played an important role in shaping the immediate aftermath of the conflict - and in laying the foundations for the troubled Middle East that we know today.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2016
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About the author
Rob Johnson
12 books4 followersRob Johnson is Director of The Changing Character of War Centre at the University of Oxford.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 13, 2017
The Great War and the Middle East is an ambitious project which sets out to map the conflicts and consequences for the belligerent parties of WWI in the Middle East. This entails the politics of the British Empire, Arab rivalries, and the eventual fall of the Ottoman Empire. The story is told chronologically with each theatre of opertaions being outlined in their historical succesion, starting with the build-up of tensions that led the Ottoman empire to side with the Central Powers in 1914, to final campaign of the British in Palestine and Syria in 1918.
The key feature of this book which stands out as its primary strength and concern is the way in which it explains the interraltions between events over the vourse of the Great War. Whereas other history books describe campaign in isolation, this work does a phenomenal job of locating these within the larger frame of nation-wide strategy. The Gallipolli offensive of 1915, often lauded as a wasteful distraction on the part of the British, is instead seen as the outcome of Britain's need to support the failing Russian war offensive of 1914 and 1915 by supplying additional pressure on the Ottomans. Similarly, the Ottoman caliphate's call of Jihad on British and French colonised Muslims provoked the British into the aggressive and eventually failed Mesopotamia campaign of 1914-16.
Emerging from this framework of seeing strategy as both the outcome and determinant of events also leads to this book's perhaps most concrete argument, that the 'spheres of influence' of the controversial Sykes-Picot treaty were not the outcome of British government policy, but rather represented the interests of specific actors within the Empire. Interests which were at odds with the Cairo office, the Viceroys of India and indeed, most of Parliament. To some degree then, this book might be read as a defence for the British influence over the Middle East in first half of the 20th century, though this would be a misreading. More accurately, this book attempts to highlight the nuances of imperial policy within a devastating and unpredicted war, and how the victors attempted, with often disastrous results, to cobble together the pieces of the fallen Ottoman empire.
It is a good read and recommended for every/anyone with an interest in either the Middle East, the Great War or indeed the British Empire. The most important chapter is perhaps the one outlining the peace-making process of 1919-23 and beyond. Not only does this chapter clearly explain the rise of Turkey as a secular nation under Kemal Mustapha 'Ataturk', but also the origins of the states of the Levant, and the founding of Iraq. It is in this respect that it also ties in with current affairs as it explains how imperial policy in conflict or cooperation with local actors framed the Middle East for what is has become today. The dawning of oil's importance was one reason for european interest in Iraq (or Mesopotamia as it was called under Ottoman rule) in 1914. And the foundation of Israel as jewish state in 1948 is partly the result of the British' need for securing its imperial interest in the Suez canal by creating a friendly buffer state in Palestine, as expressed in the Balfour declaration of 1917.
On the downside, this book does suffer from some criticisms. Firstly, there are the odd typos here and there. Given that it is a very recent publication this will probably fade as newer editions arrive, but at the moment there are the occassional errors. Secondly, it is without a doubt a book for readers with knowledge of either WWI or the Middle East. Personally, I am familiar with the former but not the latter. As such I had no difficulty understanding the relevance of say the need for manpower on the Western Front in 1915 or the German Spring Offensives in 1918 on the strategy for the Middle East theatres, however, I did find it challenging to understand the relationships between the various Arab, Caucasian, Persian or Egyptian factions. A more comprehensive outline of these would therefore have been very appreciated.
The context of its publication is worth noting as well. The Middle Eastern theatres are perhaps the most neglected of the Great War (with the exception of the south and east African ones), yet it is precisely in the Middle East that the legacies of the Great War are the most vibrant and enduring. The still unresolved disputes between Turks, Kurds, Armenians, Palestinians, Israelis, Sunnis and Shias all have, to varying degrees, their roots in the peace settlements made in the interwar period. Understanding these conflicts seem therefore to necessitate an understanding of their origin which inevitably leads to the events of 1914-1918.
The key feature of this book which stands out as its primary strength and concern is the way in which it explains the interraltions between events over the vourse of the Great War. Whereas other history books describe campaign in isolation, this work does a phenomenal job of locating these within the larger frame of nation-wide strategy. The Gallipolli offensive of 1915, often lauded as a wasteful distraction on the part of the British, is instead seen as the outcome of Britain's need to support the failing Russian war offensive of 1914 and 1915 by supplying additional pressure on the Ottomans. Similarly, the Ottoman caliphate's call of Jihad on British and French colonised Muslims provoked the British into the aggressive and eventually failed Mesopotamia campaign of 1914-16.
Emerging from this framework of seeing strategy as both the outcome and determinant of events also leads to this book's perhaps most concrete argument, that the 'spheres of influence' of the controversial Sykes-Picot treaty were not the outcome of British government policy, but rather represented the interests of specific actors within the Empire. Interests which were at odds with the Cairo office, the Viceroys of India and indeed, most of Parliament. To some degree then, this book might be read as a defence for the British influence over the Middle East in first half of the 20th century, though this would be a misreading. More accurately, this book attempts to highlight the nuances of imperial policy within a devastating and unpredicted war, and how the victors attempted, with often disastrous results, to cobble together the pieces of the fallen Ottoman empire.
It is a good read and recommended for every/anyone with an interest in either the Middle East, the Great War or indeed the British Empire. The most important chapter is perhaps the one outlining the peace-making process of 1919-23 and beyond. Not only does this chapter clearly explain the rise of Turkey as a secular nation under Kemal Mustapha 'Ataturk', but also the origins of the states of the Levant, and the founding of Iraq. It is in this respect that it also ties in with current affairs as it explains how imperial policy in conflict or cooperation with local actors framed the Middle East for what is has become today. The dawning of oil's importance was one reason for european interest in Iraq (or Mesopotamia as it was called under Ottoman rule) in 1914. And the foundation of Israel as jewish state in 1948 is partly the result of the British' need for securing its imperial interest in the Suez canal by creating a friendly buffer state in Palestine, as expressed in the Balfour declaration of 1917.
On the downside, this book does suffer from some criticisms. Firstly, there are the odd typos here and there. Given that it is a very recent publication this will probably fade as newer editions arrive, but at the moment there are the occassional errors. Secondly, it is without a doubt a book for readers with knowledge of either WWI or the Middle East. Personally, I am familiar with the former but not the latter. As such I had no difficulty understanding the relevance of say the need for manpower on the Western Front in 1915 or the German Spring Offensives in 1918 on the strategy for the Middle East theatres, however, I did find it challenging to understand the relationships between the various Arab, Caucasian, Persian or Egyptian factions. A more comprehensive outline of these would therefore have been very appreciated.
The context of its publication is worth noting as well. The Middle Eastern theatres are perhaps the most neglected of the Great War (with the exception of the south and east African ones), yet it is precisely in the Middle East that the legacies of the Great War are the most vibrant and enduring. The still unresolved disputes between Turks, Kurds, Armenians, Palestinians, Israelis, Sunnis and Shias all have, to varying degrees, their roots in the peace settlements made in the interwar period. Understanding these conflicts seem therefore to necessitate an understanding of their origin which inevitably leads to the events of 1914-1918.
March 3, 2018
This is an informative book about the little known World War I conflict in the Middle East and the not well understood ramifications of the aftermath. Part of my duties in the Army brought me to far Eastern Turkey, Erzurum which was captured by the Russians in WWI. I have also been to Istanbul, captured by the British eventually, but never got to Gallipoli. I have also been to Egypt and Kuwait where there was considerable fighting as well. I have seen the movie Lawrence of Arabia and the story of the Charge of the Australian Light Horse however I never realized how extensive the fighting was in the Middle East. This book is well researched and the story of the conflict in this theater is well presented. The Author also precedes the war and establishes the political and tribal machinations by the major powers, Ottoman, German, British, French, Russian, and Arab. He concludes the book with an assessment of how the treaties and tribal jealousies shaped the current situation. Throughout the book the author points out where he thinks the current situation is not influenced by WWI and where he thinks influence is greatly exaggerated. The division of the Ottoman Empire and establishment of, as some think arbitrary countries, and especially the creation of an Jewish protectorate in Palestine causing discontent among the Arab Tribes the author thinks is over stressed as a cause for the current Middle Eastern problems. This is an excellent book and a good read for those interested in both WWI and the current situation in the Middle East.
May 20, 2023
A good and quick read. A strategic, theater level overview with a heavier emphasis on British actions. I enjoyed reading it and learned some new things, which is all we can hope for.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews