TheSpecterofMuslim
Unrestand German
Support,1905-1914
In a New Year's Eveletterin 1905 to hischancellor,shortlybeforethe
crisis inMorocco,inwhichGermanyfailedtobreakuptheAnglo-
Frenchententecordiale,WilhelmIImentionedthepossibilityofa
futureEuropean-widewar.Germany,hewroteto Bulow,shouldnot
entertheconflictuntilithadconcludedanalliancewiththeOtto-
mansandwith"allArabianandMoorishrulers."TheReich,thekai-
sercontinued,couldnotbegina waruntilsuchapactwithIslam
couldbe sealed.'DuringthedecadebeforeWorldWar Iconcern,much
ofitexaggerated,intensifiedamongtheBritishoverthecombined
threattotheBritishEmpireoftheincreasingGermaninfluencein
theMiddleEastandtheOttomandoctrineofpan-Islamism.
Ironically,boththeBritishandGermansemphasizedpan-Islamism-
eachfor adifferentreason-asmuchormorethandidtheTurksand
mostotherMuslims.TheEuropeans,includingtheirrulers,helda
popularmisperceptionoftheMuslimworld:thatitformedamono-
lithicpan-Islamicentity,guidedbythecaliph-thesuccessorofthe
Prophet,Muhammad-inConstantinople.Asthischapterempha-
sizes,bothBritainandGermanybelievederroneouslythatwhoever
controlledthecaliphdominatedIslam.'"OfCourseOurGermanCousinsAreBehindIt All"AfteritsfailureinMorocco,Germanyengagedinanti-Britishac-
tivitiesinEgyptandthePersianGulfregion,anditcontinuedits
rivalrywithBritainforinfluenceintheOttomanEmpire.InEgypt,
during 1906 theBritishsuspectedGermaninvolvementintheAnglo-
Turkishdisputeknownasthe"Aqabaincident."Thisparticularly
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