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

XII WARBYREVOLUTION

wartimeappealtopan-Islamism,anideathathaddevelopedamong
GermanandOttomanleadersbeforethewar,aimedatstokingthe
fireofnativerevoltsagainsttheBritishintheirchiefimperialhold-
ings,IndiaandEgypt.Italsofocusedonenflaminganti-Britishpas-
sionsinthesurroundingArabandotherlands-inNorthAfrica,
Abyssinia,Somaliland,theSudan,Turkey(includingSyria,Palestine,
Arabia,andMesopotamia),Persia,andAfghanistan."
Thisstudydealswithallofthesegeographicalareas,including
GermanpolicytowardtheArabsinArabiaandtheirleaders,whom
theBritishandLawrencesucceededinpersuadingtorevoltin1916.
DespitetheGermanalliancewiththeOttomans,Berlinlearnedin
thewarthatwithoutArabsupportneitherGermanynorTurkeycould
undertakeanythingofmilitaryorpoliticalvalueinthestrategicre-
gionofArabia,theRedSea,andeasternAfrica.Yet, asthepresent
studywillshow,Germanyfailedfornumerousreasons-including
itsleaders'confusionandindecision-todevelopaneffectiveanduse-
fulArabpolicyortoinfluenceitsTurkishallyonthesubject.Also,
theGermansseemedwhollyunconcernedaboutthecontradiction
inaChristianstate's-Germany's-involvementineffortsbythesul-
tan-caliphtowageajihadagainstotherChristiannations.
Severalquestions,therefore,dominatethisbook.Why,forex-
ample,didBritainandGermanyengageintheMiddleEastinthis
wagingof"warbyrevolution,"orinusingdissidentgroupswithin
theenemies'statesorempirestorevoltandtherebyweakenthem?"
FortheGermans,theirrevolutionarypolicyrepresentedless aconfi-
dentWe1tpolitik("globalpolicy")and"bidforworldpower'?"than
anattempttosecureavictoryforitselfinEuropebydivertingelse-
wheretheresourcesofBritainanditsallies. Britainactedfroma
long-heldfearofpan-IslamismandGermanpowerintheMiddle
East,whichincombinationappearedtoLondontothreatenBritain's
ruleinIndiaandEgypt.
Why,intheshortterm,didtheGermansandTurksfailintheir
revolutionarypolicy,whiletheBritishsucceeded?Contrarytowhat
Britishleadersbelievedduringthewar,neitherBerlinnorConstan-
tinoplebaseditsimportantdecisionsonreligious-revolutionarycon-
siderations;rather,theybasedthemonstrategic,andoftenconflict-
ing,interests.Also,non-TurkishMuslimsintheOttomanEmpire,