THE ARAB REVOLT
In November 1914, the Ottoman Empire declared its support for Germany in the First World War. Britain, which had originally backed the Ottoman Empire, suddenly found itself in conflict with the Turks in the Middle East. The British government began to look for allies among the Arabs, who resented Ottoman rule. In June 1916, King Hussein, ruler of the Hejaz province (now part of Saudi Arabia), started an uprising with an expectation of British support. The “Arab Revolt” was led by Hussein’s four sons, Ali, Abdullah, Feisal, and Zeid. In 1917, T.E. Lawrence was named an advisor to Feisal. For two years, Lawrence and Feisal led a guerilla resistance campaign against the Turks, sabotaging rail lines and other key infrastructure. The campaign worked to distract the Ottoman army from concentrating its full might against the British forces in the region. The campaign culminated in the capture of Damascus, Syria, in October 1918.