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

70 WARBYREVOLUTION

replacementofonearbitraryandalienregime,theBritishoccupa-
tion,by aTurkishone.
Britain'smajorconcerncenteredonprotectingthecanalfroma
TurkishandGermanattack-"lessforitsmilitaryeffect,"recalledSir
RonaldStorrs,theOrientalsecretaryattheCairoresidency,afterthe
war,"thanfortherepercussionuponaMoslemEgypt."Already,on
19 August,theBritishhadfoiledaGermanattempttoblocktheca-
nal.BecauseEgyptwasnotatwar,andbecauseoftheanomalythat
thediplomaticagentsofthestateswithwhichBritainwasatwar
wereaccreditedtothePorte,theAustro-HungarianconsulandGer-
mancharged'affairesremainedinthecountryaslateastheendof
August,intriguingagainsttheBritish.s
SirMilneCheetham,theBritishresidentinCairofollowingLord
Kitchener'sappointmentaswarminister,informedGreyandthe
ForeignOfficeofnumeroussigns,includingTurkishofficerspass-
ingthroughEgypttotheRed Sea,thatanattackonEgyptformed
partofTurkishplansintheeventofwar.Cheethamalsoreported
thatemissarieswerebeingsenttoEgypt,India,Yemen,andthe
Sanussistostiruptrouble,andthattheBritishmilitarycommandin
EgypthopedforthearrivalsoonofIndiantroops.'
ThroughoutSeptemberandOctober,CheethamandMalletre-
portedtotheForeignOfficefurtherTurkishpreparationsagainst
Egypt,notingespeciallythesteadyOttomantroopmovementssouth-
wardtoSyriaandPalestineandtowardtheSinaiborder.By 10 Octo-
berMallethadlearnedofthearrivalattheTurkishFourthArmyin
DamascusofGermanofficers,thepartythatincludedKress von
KressensteinandPrufer,A few dayslaterMalletwarnedLondonthat
MuslimsinnorthernSyriahadbeen"reportedto havebeenso in-
veigledandincitedbyGermanandTurkishdeliberateofficialmis-
representationsandfalsehoodsofeverykindthatmassesseemto
believe [the]GermanEmperorhasembraced[the]Islamicfaith,and
thatGermansarefightingforIslamagainstRussia."?
InCairo,SirJohnMaxwell,therecentlyappointedcommanderof
Britain'stroopsinEgypt,pointedouttotheWarOfficeinLondon
thatGermanofficerswereregularlyvisitingthefrontierpostsalong
theSinaiborder.Militaryintelligenceshowedthatasmanyas ahun-
dredthousandOttomantroopsmightbeamassinginSyriaandPal-