TheThickening Plot
and HolyWar,
Fall 1914
DespitethefactthattheTurkshadnotenteredtheworldwarwhen
itbegan,andknowingnothingoftheGerman-Ottomanallianceof
2 August1914,BritishofficialsinbothConstantinopleandCairoob-
servedcarefullyTurkey'spreparationsforwaranditscooperation
withGermany'span-IslamicandrevolutionarypoliciesintheOri-
ent. WhentheGermanwarshipsGoebenandBreslauenteredthe
Dardanelleson 10 August,theForeignOffice inLondondoubted,
sometimesagainsttheopinionofMallet,itsambassadorinConstan-
tinople,thatBritaincouldpreventthePorte'sentryintothewaron
Germany'sside.'Britain, Egypt, andtheArabs
Britishofficials inConstantinopleandCairobelievedthata severe
threatexistedtoEgyptfromGermanyandTurkey.Atthewar'sbe-
ginning,intelligencereportsindicatedthatEgyptianpublicopinion
favoredthecauseoftheCentralPowersandTurks.TheEgyptians
estimatedGermanmilitarypowerhighly.Also,mostMuslimEgyp-
tiansgaveallegiancetotheOttomanEmpireanditssultan-caliph;
prayersinEgyptianmosquesfor thecaliphcontinuedthroughout
thewar.'
Yet whiletheGermansandTurkshopedtoexploitEgyptianopin-
ionbyattackingtheSuezCanal,whichwouldinciteanti-British
rebellionsinEgypt,bothBerlinandConstantinoplefailedto con-
siderintheircalculationsanotherfactoratwork.Considerableam-
bivalenceexistedamongEgyptiansaboutthepossibleresultsofa
TurkishdefeatofBritaininEgyptandwhetheritwouldmeanthe
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