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

52 WARBYREVOLUTION

convinceBritaintomakepeace."Healleged-withoutofficialinfor-

mation-thattheAfghanarmyhadfiftythousandtroopsreadyto

invadeIndia.GermanyandTurkey,heurged,shouldsendanexpedi-

tionofmilitaryadvisersto thearmyoftheAmirofAfghanistan,

HabibullahKhan.'?Duringtheensuingweeks (asdiscussedlaterin

thisstudy),theforeignministryandGeneralStafforganizedtwo ex-

peditionstotheamir.

PreparingtheAssaulton Egypt
WhileideascirculatedinBerlinaboutattackingBritaininIndiaand
theGermansbeganmobilizingforthatpurposeexpeditionsto Per-
siaandAfghanistan,bothBerlinandConstantinoplefocusedmuch
oftheiractivitiesonEgypt.NotonlydidtheypushforwardYoung
Turkpreparationsfor aneventualmilitaryinvasionofEgypt,butthey
spentagreatdealoftimeandenergyattemptingtoblocktheSuez
Canalandraisingananti-Britishrebellioninsidethecountry.As early
as 14 August,theBritishdeprivedGermanshipsinthecanaloftheir
wireless sets, topreventthemfromcommunicatinglocalBritishna-
valmovementsto twoGermanwarshipsintheMediterraneanSea.2 0
By 20 AugusttheGermannavyhadaddedits voice tothoseofthe
foreignministryandGeneralStaffincallingfor aTurkishoffensive
againstthecanal.Buteven inthefirstdaysofthewartheGermans
encounteredseriousproblemsinimplementingtheirambitiousplans.
WithoutanOttomanentryintothewaronGermany'ssideandwith-
outadequateGermannavalpowertochallengeBritainonthehigh
seas,theReichhadnomeansoflaunchingamilitarystrikeagainst
Egypt.
Despitesuchissues,intelligenceagentsoftheGermannavy in Egypt
tried(unsuccessfully)toobstructthecanal,bysinkingalargeGer-
manfreighter,theBetetiiels,loadedwithcoal forIndia.Theplot,
whichinvolvedtheGermancharged'affairesinCairoandoneofthe
lastGermanconsularofficialsto leaveEgypt,vonPannwitz,misfired
whenseamenontheBarenfelsbetrayedittotheBritish,whoseized
thevessel ahalfhourbeforeitwas to set sail."
BytheendofAugusttheGermannavy wasbeing pressuredby
BethmannHollwegtoblockthecanal;thechancellorrealizedthat