Mesopotamian campaign

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Mesopotamian campaign

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WWI British military effort to control Ottoman Iraq and secure vital oil interests.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Mesopotamian campaign or Mesopotamian front (Turkish: Irak Cephesi) was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the British Empire, with troops from Britain, Australia and the vast majority from the British Raj, and the Central Powers, primarily the Ottoman Empire, over control of Ottoman Iraq. It started after the British Fao Landing in 1914, which sought to protect Anglo-Persian Oil Company oil fields in Khuzestan province and the Shatt al-Arab waterway. The front later evolved into a larger campaign that sought to capture the city of Baghdad and divert Ottoman forces from other fronts. It ended with the Armistice of Mudros in 1918, leading to the cession of Iraq and further partition of the Ottoman Empire. The British advanced from Al-Faw to the city of Basra to secure British oil fields in nearby Iran.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Following the landings, British forces won a string of victories along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, including the repulse of an Ottoman attempt to retake Basra at the Battle of Shaiba. The advance stalled when the British reached the town of Kut, south of the city of Baghdad in December 1915. The Siege of Kut led to the defeat of the British force, later called "the worst defeat of the Allies in World War I". The British re-organised and began a new campaign to take Baghdad. Despite fierce Ottoman resistance, Baghdad was captured in March 1917 and the Ottomans suffered more defeats until the Armistice at Mudros.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The campaign ended with a British mandate over Mesopotamia being established and a change of the balance of power following the Ottoman expulsion from the region. In Turkey, elements of the Misak-ı Millî, the last Ottoman parliament, still claimed parts of modern Iraq such as Mosul as being Turkish, leading to Allied occupation of Constantinople. The British mandate over Mesopotamia later failed as an Iraqi revolt in 1920, caused by discontent with the British administration, led to the Cairo Conference in 1921. It was decided a Hashemite kingdom under British influence would be established in the region with Faisal as its first monarch. Prior to Ottoman entry into World War I, the British had gained exclusive rights to oil fields in south-western Persia (modern Iran), many in Arabistan, under the jurisdiction of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1914: 1914 Milestone — It started after the British Fao Landing in 1914, which sought to protect Anglo-Persian Oil Company oil fields in Khuzestan province and the Shatt al-Arab waterway.
2. 1915: 1915 Milestone — The advance stalled when the British reached the town of Kut, south of the city of Baghdad in December 1915.
3. 1917: 1917 Milestone — Despite fierce Ottoman resistance, Baghdad was captured in March 1917 and the Ottomans suffered more defeats until the Armistice at Mudros.
4. 1918: 1918 Milestone — It ended with the Armistice of Mudros in 1918, leading to the cession of Iraq and further partition of the Ottoman Empire.
5. 1920: 1920 Milestone — The British mandate over Mesopotamia later failed as an Iraqi revolt in 1920, caused by discontent with the British administration, led to the Cairo Conference in 1921.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Mesopotamian campaign

True or False: “The Mesopotamian campaign was solely focused on securing British control over the Anglo-Persian Oil Company's oil fields.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While oil was vital, the campaign's objective expanded significantly to include capturing major cities like Baghdad and fundamentally altering the balance of power in the region.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abdul-Karim Qasim — Historical peer (Born in 1914) (1914): Iraqi military officer who led the country as Prime Minister from 1958 to 1963.
• Adolph Green — Historical peer (Born in 1914) (1914): American lyricist and playwright known for his long-running, witty partnership with Betty Comden.
• Abdul Hamid II — Historical peer (Died in 1918) (1918): Last effective Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, navigating decline and constitutional upheaval.
• Abraham Pais — Historical peer (Born in 1918) (1918): Pioneering physicist and acclaimed science historian of modern physics.
• A. A. K. Niazi — Historical peer (Born in 1915) (1915): Pakistani general who commanded Eastern Command during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
• Abba Eban — Historical peer (Born in 1915) (1915): Israeli diplomat, politician, and scholar of Arabic and Hebrew languages.
• Abdullah al-Sallal — Historical peer (Born in 1917) (1917): Yemeni military officer and revolutionary who led the North Yemeni Revolution of 1962.
• Adolf von Baeyer — Historical peer (Died in 1917) (1917): Pioneering German chemist known for indigo synthesis and IUPAC nomenclature.
• Abraham Kuyper — Historical peer (Died in 1920) (1920): Influential neo-Calvinist pastor, journalist, and Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
• Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani — Historical peer (Born in 1920) (1920): Emir of Qatar (1960–1972) whose reign oversaw the nation's oil boom and independence.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mesopotamian campaign