War by Revolution. Germany and Great Britain in the Middle East in the Era of World War I

THETHICKENINGPLOTANDHOLYWAR 93

Intheneighboring,British-ruledSudan,Egyptianarmyunitssent
atthewar'soutbreakprovidedthegovernment-generalwithsecu-
rity.Egyptianofficersreceivedthenews ofthepoliticalchangesin
Cairowithlittlesurpriseandtookanoathofallegiancetothenew
sultan.LeadingSudaneseshaykhsandulamas,calledtoKhartoum
bytheBritishgovernor-generalandcommanderoftheEgyptianarmy,
GeneralSirFrancisReginaldWingate,gavesimilarassurancesofloy-
alty. Also,thegovernor-generalorderedpilgrimsreturningfromthe
holyplacesintheHijazto betransportedtoKhartoum,beforegoing
totheirvillages, forinterviewswithloyalreligiousauthoritiesso as
to bedisabusedoffalsenotionsregardingtheholywar."
BritishintelligenceinbothKhartoumandCairoreceived less posi-
tive newsfromtheneighboringterritories.ABritishagentandcoast
guardofficeratal-SallumontheLibyan-Egyptianborder,MajorL.
V.Royle,retainedclosecontactwiththeSanussishaykhinCyrenaica,
theSayyidAhmadal-SharifAs early as 6SeptemberRoylehadlearned
oftheexpectedarrivalattheSanussicampofGermans-undoubt-
edlyMannesmann'smessengers-andtheTurkishemissary,Sulayman
al-Barani.Intheensuingweeks,theItalians,concernedfortheirpo-
sitionin LibyaagainsttheSanussisandworryingaboutGermanand
Turkishintervention,attemptedunsuccessfullytoinvolvethereluc-
tantBritishagainsttheSanussis.ThegovernmentinRomeclaimed
totheBritishambassador,SirRennellRodd,thattheSanussisin-
tendedto allythemselveswiththeTurksagainstBritain.
ButinCairo,Britishofficials,alreadyworriedaboutthepan-Is-
lamicthreattoEgyptfromTurkey,wishedto donothingonEgypt's
westernfrontiertoangertheSanussisortheirreligiousbrethrenon
theEgyptiansideoftheborder.Ontheotherhand,Britainusedthe
issueeventuallytopersuadetheItalianstoabandontheirneutrality
andjointheAllies. Inthisregard,theForeignOfficedirectedRodd
to advisetheItaliansthattheSanussishadbeenapproachedbythe
Germansaboutjoiningthem,andthatanattackonEgyptwould
likelycreateadisturbanceinotherMuslimareasofNorthAfricaand
mustaffectItaly."TheShaykhal-Sanussi,for hispart,negotiated
withall sides. HenotonlyreceivedtheemissariesoftheGermans
andTurksbutrepeatedlytoldtheBritishofTurkishandGerman
pressureonhimtoattackEgypt,andofhisrefusalto doSO.9^8