GermanyasWartime
"Revolutionary,"
Fall 1914
Theonsetofthe"GreatWar" inEuropeinAugust 1914 shatteredany
opportunityin theMiddleEastfor implementingtheagreements
concludedthereduringthepreviousyearamongTurkey,Britain,and
Germany.FollowingAustria-Hungary'sattackonSerbia,Germany
declaredwaronRussiaandFranceandinvadedFranceandBelgium,
forcingBritain'sentryintotheconflictagainsttheCentralPowersof
GermanyandAustria-Hungary.
Duringtheconflict'sfirstmonthstheGermangoalsincludedweak-
eningtheAllies bydivertingtheirresourcesawayfromEuropeand
particularlytotheirempiresintheMiddleEast,NorthAfrica,and
southernRussia.Germanofficialsenvisionedwagingwaragainstthe
far-flungBritishEmpire,whichthekaiserandhissubordinatesen-
viedanddespised,byincitinganti-British,pan-Islamicrebellions-
andeventuallya"holywar"(jihad)-amongitsmanyMuslimsub-
jects.Butalthoughtheideaofpromotinguprisingsas ameansof
warfarehadexistedamongGermanleadersforatleasttwodecades,
theyquicklyfoundthemselvesnearlywhollyunpreparedfor orga-
nizingtherevolts.'
TheTurkish-GermanAlliance and FirstPreparations
for Inciting Muslim Rebellions
Almostuntil 4 August,whenBritaindeclaredwarontheCentral
Powers,keyGermanleaders,especiallythechancellor,Bethmann
Hollweg,andforeignsecretary,Gottliebvon]agow,heldtotheillu-
sionthatGermanycouldconvinceBritaintoremainneutral.Thus
whentheworldwarbegan,Germanypossessednomilitarystrategy
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