The Arab Revolt
Introduction
The Arab revolt was an uprising and a revolution by Arabs within the Ottoman empire, mainly opposed to harsh treatment by the Young Turks, who had taken control over the administration of the Ottoman territory. The Arab Muslims considered the Ottoman government as anti-Islamic and hell-bent on humiliating and subduing the Arab communities. Therefore, the revolution was a result of resentment against the discrimination of Muslim Arabs by their rulers, the Ottoman Turks. Besides, several factors contributed to the uprising; they included support from the allies such as Britain, which offered reinforcement in both war artillery and personnel. Moreover, Ottoman’s participation in World War I provided the best opportunity for the organizers of the uprising to strike. The Ottoman was already engaged in a war and was not well equipped to suppress a revolution in its backyard. The Arab revolt was of significant importance to the Allies such as Britain, France, and Russia; it was the opportune moment to establish their control over the Ottoman empire. The uprising led to the establishment of new states in the Middle East, such as Palestine and the emergence of the Republic of Turkey.
The rise of Arab Nationalism
The revolt originated from the nationalistic ideologies and struggles of the Christian Slavic minorities who had secured their independence from the Ottoman in 1912. The forces driving the wave of the uprising were educated elites mainly in urban centers in Damascus and Baghdad, civil servants, secret societies, and current and former service members dissatisfied with the administration of the Young Turks. From the 16th century, the Ottoman empire had sovereignty over Arabia, though its primary interest was in controlling strategic ports and the religious cities of Mecca and Medina.
The rest of the territories were under the control of clan heads. Among the contentious issues that bred feelings of nationalism was the completion of the Hejaz railway constructed by the Ottoman empire to facilitate access to the interior parts of Arabia. It was built in 1908, and it connected the two strategic Arabian cities, Medina and Damascus. According to Ottoman authorities, the rail was purposely constructed to facilitate the Muslim’s movement to Mecca for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. However, the local clans that ruled the region and especially the Hashemite clan saw this as an attempt by the Ottoman administration to expand their influence beyond the cities of Mecca and Medina to the interiors.
The Hashemite clan, assumed to be descendants of Prophet Muhammed, ruled the region, and the intrusion by the Ottoman administration threatened the rule of their leader, Sharif Hussein ibn Ali. According to the elders, if the train could transport over 1000 devout Muslims to Mecca for the annual pilgrim overnight, it could still be used by the Ottoman empire to transport troops or tax collectors to the region. They, therefore, saw the construction of the railway as an attempt by the Young Turks to expand their territories of influence. Besides, unrest in 1914 among the Arab communities in the interior had put the local clan leaders at loggerheads with the Ottoman government of the Young Turks, who were accused of being anti-Islamic due to its alienation of former Arab loyalists in Syria, Mesopotamia, and Palestine. These resentments, coupled with increased intrusion of the Ottoman empire into interior Arabia, and the empire’s participation in World War I, offered the perfect opportunity to stage the revolt.
The Revolt and its Impact on the Overall Allied Strategy
The uprising was a chance for allies to fight against the central powers and take control over Ottoman. The Arab revolt was a joint effort between the Arab community as they sought independence from the Ottoman rule and the British whose interest was to fight the central powers. The journey towards the uprising began with local dissent against the Ottoman government by Arabs and Muslims who accused the rulers of perpetuating discrimination. The Ottoman administration responded by instituting European-like reforms known as the Tanzimat era. The changes aimed at regaining control of the region, which was already declining. The reforms included the making of a constitution and a parliament. However, the parliament was dissolved in 1879, but reconstituted in 1908. The government focused on establishing a centralized form of governance with all regions under its control. However, resentment and calls for an independent Arab identity from the Turkish grip increased.
The struggle towards establishing an Arab identity began in 1913 when the first Arab parliament met in France, Paris, to deliberate on the control and discrimination of Arabs under Ottoman administration. The congress agreed to the increased administrative control of Arabs by themselves, the use of Arabic as the official language in Arab territories, as well as the freedom of Arab soldiers to serve in their local areas.
Sharif Hussein’s sons, Ali and Feisal, began the revolution by on 5 June 1916, by attacking the Ottoman base in Medina. The attack was to bring the holy city and the railway under the control of the Arab insurgents. On 10 June, Sharif Hussein forces had taken control over Mecca. The British, in its attempt to fight the central powers, offered support to the Arabs in the uprising. By the end of July, Arab forces had seized vital installations such as ports and railways such as Jiddah, Rabegh, and Yanbu.
To achieve its mission of fighting central powers through the Arab uprising, the British Army liaised with its high command in Egypt to send contingencies to the Arab leadership. After the Arab forces took control of strategic ports, the British increased its supply of artillery and other essential supplies. Besides, the British sent its contingent of Arab Regular Army, which was a group of Ottoman fighters captured as prisoners of wars by Britain at Mesopotamia, Sinai or Gallipoli, to reinforce the Arab fighters. Lieutenant T.E Lawrence was assigned by the British administration in Egypt to assist the Arab forces, the Hashemite, in fighting Ottoman forces.
The entry of Lieutenant Lawrence proved a significant boost to the Hashemite forces in their fight against their Ottoman rulers. It also gave Britain the chance to interfere with the Ottoman empire’s affairs through the Arab fighters. Without the uprising from the Arab community, Britain had no plan to fight for the control of the Ottoman. It was after the entry of captain Lawrence that Emir Feisal managed to capture port Wejh from the Ottoman’s control. They also managed to blow up sections of the railroad hence effectively taking control over the Hejaz region.
The final victory of the Arab uprising was recorded when Lawrence led the offensive to capture Aqaba, the Ottoman red seaport that was remaining under its control. Lawrence, in conjunction with Feisal, led a group of Arab fighters to raid the port, and it became the new base for their army. The Arab military, which was renamed the Arab Northern Army, continued with the offensive by attacking vital installations such as railway lines and assisting the British where possible. In October, the army reached Damascus but only to find Australian forces ready to take over the city. In a month, the Ottoman empire was at the brink of collapse, and it sought an armistice. The Arab uprising leaders had to negotiate with the French and the British concerning the fate of the region.
Long-term Results of the Revolt on the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East
The aftermath of the uprising had far-reaching impacts in both the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East. The rebellion led to Ottoman losing control over its former territories, the allies gaining control over territories previously under the Central Powers, opening up of Palestine to the Jews, Establishment of Iran as an Arab State, and growth of Mistrust between Arabs and the allies. The above consequences have continued to impact on the region to the present age.
The Arab uprising resulted in the collapse of the Ottoman empire and a wave of tensions and violence. A month later, after the Arab Northern Army reached Damascus, the Ottoman Empire sought armistice to end the war. Before the cease-fire, the Ottoman administration headed by the Young Turks had already crumpled. Its leaders Talat Pasha, Enver, and Pasha Cemal, had fled to Germany for fear over their lives. Lawlessness and banditry had taken over the country, and religious and ethnic differences threatened to plunge the country into violence.
The allies used the revolution to advance their interests in the region. Even after the armistice that ended the war, the allies continued to exert their influence and control over the area. For instance, the British continued with their presence in Syria, Mesopotamia, and Palestine. The Greeks, the French, and the Britain forces were all ready to invade Bulgaria and control Constantinople and the Ottoman Thrace. Besides, Britain continued to peddle its influence in the region by use of incentives such as weapons and military support.
The peace treaty signed between the Ottoman empire and the allies resulted in the allies gaining more control over the region than the central powers. The treaty of Sevres, signed in France, saw Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, and Lebanon come under the control of France and Britain in the pretext of League of Nations responsibilities. Greeks took control over eastern Thrace and western Anatolia while Italians controlled the Dodecanese Islands. The partition of the Ottoman Empire among the allies after its collapse manifests how they took advantage of the uprising to exert control over the region.
The uprising altered the political and geographical landscape in the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula, resulting in new regimes, administrations, and states. The treaty of Sevres made Armenia an independent state while the Kurds were allocated a separate region. Besides, Sharif Hussein, the leader of the uprising, was rewarded through recognition of Hejaz as an autonomous kingdom. Moreover, Palestine was opened to the Jews by Britain. The allies reneged on their previous agreement with the Arab uprising leaders on supporting them for independence after the uprising. Contrary, the allies partitioned the regions for themselves, and such acts brought mistrust between them and the Arabs. The outcome of such actions has changed the political landscape in the Middle East to the present.
In conclusion, the Arab Uprising is responsible for the current day political structures in the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula. The revolution was due to the mistreatment of Arab Muslims by the Ottoman rulers. Arabs rallied together to fight for independence from the Ottoman administration. Despite the allies betraying them after the success of the uprising, the Arabs did not give up. They continued with the struggle, and in 1923, Turkey republic was born. The revolution has continued to inspire Arabs to fight injustice.