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

68 WARBYREVOLUTION

Despitethemultitudeofproblemsthatplaguedit,theInforma-
tionService receivedtensofthousandsofmarksfromtheforeign
ministrytofinanceits work.Theagencysentitsfirstpublishedmate-
rials inOctoberandNovember 1914 toTurkeyfor deliverytoEgypt
andArabia.Throughoutthewar itproduced1,012differentpublica-
tions-newspapers,books,journals,pamphlets,andleaflets-innine
EuropeanandtwelveOrientallanguages,anditdistributedmorethan
threemillioncopiesofthem."
OneofthefirstprojectsoftheInformationService wasthedistri-
butionofpropagandabytheagencyandOppenheimamongFrench
AlgerianandTunisiantroopsseizedbyGermanyasprisonersofwar.
TheGermansheldmostoftheMuslimprisonersin acampatZossen,
nearPotsdam,withothersatAltengrabowandSenneoutside
Paderborn.Oppenheimacceptedwithoutquestionthattheprison-
ershatedtheFrenchandcouldbepersuaded,inpartbybuildinga
smallmosqueattheZossencampandprovidingitwithaMuslim
cleric, todesertFranceandjointhepan-Islamicmovementbeingor-
ganizedbyGermanyandTurkey.TheGermansplannedtosendsome
ofthedeserterstoConstantinopleandeitherusethemfortheOtto-
manexpeditionagainstEgyptorreturnthemtotheirhomelandsas
anti-Alliedpropagandists.>
Nearlyeveryonein Berlinarrogantlypersuadedthemselvesthat
Germany,withTurkey'sassistance,couldrallytheMuslimsofthe
MiddleEasttosupporttheCentralPowers inthewar.Oppenheim
andotherofficials believed, insimplisticanddoubtlessnationalistic
fashion,thattheworldofIslamlovedGermanyandhatedBritain
andthatconsequentlytheReichonlyhadtoconvincetheTurkish
sultan-caliphtodeclareaholywar torousetheanti-Britishpassions
ofMuslimstoaction.ThisviewblindedofficialsinBerlinnotonlyto
themistrustanddislikefelt bymanyMuslimstowardtheTurks,but
alsotothefactthatwhileMuslimsmayhaveopposedBritishrule,
theywereunwillingtoexchangeitforwhattheyperceivedwouldbe
OttomanorGermancontrol.