Sinai and Palestine campaign

Quick Facts: Who was Sinai and Palestine campaign?

Subject:

Sinai and Palestine campaign

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A major WWI theatre fighting against the Ottomans for control of the Middle East.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Sinai and Palestine campaign was part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I, taking place between January 1915 and October 1918. The British Empire, the French Third Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy fought alongside the Arab Revolt in opposition to the Ottoman Empire, the German Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It started with an Ottoman attempt at raiding the Suez Canal in 1915 and ended with the Armistice of Mudros in 1918, leading to the cession of Ottoman Syria. Fighting began in January 1915, when a German-led Ottoman force invaded the Sinai Peninsula, then occupied by the British as part of a Protectorate of Egypt, in an unsuccessful attempt to capture the Suez Canal. After the Gallipoli campaign, British Empire veterans formed the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) and Ottoman Empire veterans formed the Fourth Army, to fight for the Sinai Peninsula in 1916.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In January 1917 the newly formed Desert Column completed the recapture of the Sinai at the Battle of Rafa. This recapture of substantial Egyptian territory was followed in March and April by two EEF defeats on Ottoman territory, at the First and Second Battles of Gaza in southern Palestine. After a period of stalemate in Southern Palestine from April to October 1917, General Edmund Allenby captured Beersheba from the III Corps. The Ottoman defences were captured by 8 November, and the pursuit began. EEF victories followed, at the Battle of Mughar Ridge, 10 to 14 November, and the Battle of Jerusalem, 17 November to 30 December.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Serious losses on the Western Front in March 1918, during Erich Ludendorff's German spring offensive, forced the British Empire to send reinforcements from the EEF. The advance stalled until Allenby's force resumed the offensive during the manoeuvre warfare of the Battle of Megiddo in September. The successful infantry battles at Tulkarm and Tabsor created gaps in the Ottoman front line, allowing the pursuing Desert Mounted Corps to encircle the infantry fighting in the Judean Hills and fight the Battle of Nazareth and Battle of Samakh, capturing Afulah, Beisan, Jenin and Tiberias. In the process the EEF destroyed three Ottoman armies during the Battle of Sharon, the Battle of Nablus and the Third Transjordan attack, capturing thousands of prisoners and large quantities of equipment. Damascus and Aleppo were captured during the subsequent pursuit, before the Ottoman Empire agreed to the Armistice of Mudros on 30 October 1918, ending the Sinai and Palestine campaign.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1915: 1915 Milestone — The Sinai and Palestine campaign was part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I, taking place between January 1915 and October 1918.
2. 1916: 1916 Milestone — After the Gallipoli campaign, British Empire veterans formed the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) and Ottoman Empire veterans formed the Fourth Army, to fight for the Sinai Peninsula in 1916.
3. 1917: 1917 Milestone — In January 1917 the newly formed Desert Column completed the recapture of the Sinai at the Battle of Rafa.
4. 1918: 1918 Milestone — Serious losses on the Western Front in March 1918, during Erich Ludendorff's German spring offensive, forced the British Empire to send reinforcements from the EEF.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Sinai and Palestine campaign

True or False: “The Sinai and Palestine campaign was solely fought between British forces and Ottoman troops.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The campaign involved multiple parties, including the French Third Republic, the Kingdom of Italy, and the Arab Revolt fighting alongside the Allies.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• 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.
• 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.
• Adriana Caselotti — Historical peer (Born in 1916) (1916): American actress and singer, famed for voicing Snow White in the first Disney feature.
• Ahmed Ben Bella — Historical peer (Born in 1916) (1916): Algerian revolutionary and politician who served as the first President of Algeria.
• 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.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sinai and Palestine campaign