The Arab Revolt began in June 1916 during World War I. It was an armed rebellion launched by Sharif Hussein bin Ali to establish an independent and unified Arab state encompassing Aden in Yemen and Aleppo in Syria. The event is also known as the Arab Revolt or the Arab Betrayal.
Sharif HusseinIn June 1916, the Ottoman government rebelled against the claims that it had violated the sacred values of Islam and “trampled on the rights of the Arabs.” The Turks argued that the tribes that participated in the rebellion had betrayed Islam by rebelling instead of defending Muslim lands.
The rebellion was fought between Sharif Hussein and the UK High Commissioner Henry McMahon Following the Hussein-McMahon Correspondence, in which the Arabs were promised an independent state, June 10, 1916 was officially launched in Mecca on the morning of
Ali and Faisal, sons of Sharif Hussein, The rebellion had begun in Medina on June 5. On the morning of June 10, Arab rebels attacked the government building and barracks in Mecca. The defense of Mecca lasted a month and the city fell to the rebels on July 9, 1916. The main goal of the rebellion was to establish an independent and united Arab state extending from Aleppo to Aden, which the British government promised to recognize.
As a result of the rebellion, the Hashemite army, led by Sharif Hussein and supported by the British Egyptian Expeditionary Force, captured much of the Hejaz and Jordan. In 1918, the rebels captured Damascus, which was led by Hussein’s son Faisal I. Syrian Arab KingdomHowever, the British later abandoned the project of a single Arab state and secretly signed the Sykes-Picot Agreement with the Third French Republic. Ottoman lands were divided into a series of League of Nations mandates controlled jointly by the British and the French.
What Happened in the Background of the Arab Revolt
In the Ottoman Empire The rise of nationalism It also influenced the Arabs, leading to the establishment of nationalist Arab organizations in the Arabian Peninsula in 1865. Although it is generally accepted that Arab nationalists had moderate views before the First World War, demands for autonomy was located.
In 1913, Arab intellectuals held a congress in Paris to discuss the rights and autonomy of Arabs living in the Ottoman Empire. In this congress, reformist demands such as accepting Arabic as the official language in Arab provinces, Arab soldiers serving only in Arab lands, and Arabs playing a more active role in the Ottoman central administration were also decided, as well as the establishment of an autonomous Arab administration in all Arab provinces. It was also decided that the reformist demands of the Armenians would be supported. These demands were conveyed to both the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ottoman Government.
With the beginning of World War I, the congress’s decisions had no lasting effect and some Arabs began to demand an independent state instead of autonomy. The British also made great efforts to attract the Arabs to their side and weaken the Ottomans. Even before the war began, the British ambassador in Istanbul had stated that in the event of a possible war, an Arab operation against Turkey should be supported.
The leader of the rebellion was the Emir of Hejaz, Sharif HusseinHe was kept in Istanbul during the reign of Abdulhamid II as he was considered a risk and was made a member of the Council of State. After the Union and Progress took over the administration, Emir of Mecca Sharif Hussein had aspirations to establish an independent Arab state from the very beginning.
In 1912, he tried to make an agreement with the British that Britain would give arms to the Arabs and that the Arabs would rebel against the Ottomans and become allies of Britain in the future. There were disagreements between Sherif Hussein and the Ottoman Governor of the region, Vehip Pasha. Over time, the relations between the Ottoman administration and Sherif Hussein became strained and both sides began to consider eliminating each other.
Sharif Hussein made a firm decision to rebel in early 1915. A society was established under the presidency of Sharif Hussein’s son Emir Faisal, with Imam Yahya and Ibn Saud as members, aiming for Sharif Hussein to go to war against the Ottoman Empire and establish an Arab Government with the help of the Allied Powers. Secret talks were held between the British Governor of Egypt, Henry McMahon, and Sharif Hussein to establish an independent Arab state.
Sharif Hussein, who had met with England before the war, made an agreement with the English at the beginning of the war, did not heed the calls for jihad and started a rebellion with English support.
Events During the Arab Revolt
Ten letters were exchanged between Sir Henry McMahon and Sharif Hussein from 14 July 1915 to 10 March 1916. Hussein requested £50,000 in gold, arms, ammunition and food from McMahon on 18 February 1916. McMahonapproved the demands on March 10, 1916 and the correspondence ended. Appearing on the Ottoman side, Hussein was now convinced by the promise of a great Arab empire to the Allied Powers. Hussein, fearing for his life due to rumors that he would be removed from the Sharifship of Mecca, hastily decided to join the Allied Powers.
Hussein had about 50,000 men, but only less than 10,000 had rifles. On June 5, 1916, Hussein’s two sons, Ali and Faisal, attacked the Ottoman garrison in Medina but were defeated Fahrettin Pasha They were defeated by the Turkish defense led by Husayn. The revolt officially began on 10 June 1916, when Hussein ordered his supporters to attack the Ottoman garrison in Mecca. Defense of Mecca lasted a month and bloody fighting took place. Successful Turkish defense brought the rebellion to a standstill. With British support, the rebels captured Mecca on 9 July 1916. Hussein’s son Abdullah attacked Taif on 10 June and captured Taif on 22 September 1916.
On 10 June 1916, with the help of British warships and aircraft, 3,500 Arabs attacked the port of Jeddah, and the Ottoman garrison surrendered on 16 June. By the end of September 1916, the Sharifian Army, with the help of the Royal Navy, had captured the coastal towns of Rabigh, Yanbu and Kunfudha, and captured 6,000 Ottoman soldiers.
There were 15,000 well-armed Ottoman soldiers left in the Hijaz. The rebels’ attack on Medina in October failed and the rebels did not engage in frontal warfare again. They were unable to establish a siege of Medina, but Medina was completely cut off from the center. The Ottoman garrison in Medina was unable to move due to rebel sabotage and guerrilla attacks, and a de facto siege began. Medina was never captured by the Hashemite forces, and the Ottoman commander Fahrettin PashaHe surrendered Medina on January 9, 1919, by order of the Turkish government.
In June 1916 the British, TE Lawrence He sent several officials, including the following, to support the rebellion in the Hejaz. Lawrence established close ties with Faisal, coordinating the rebellion and encouraging the Arabs to attack the Hejaz railway. On 1 December 1916, Fakhri Pasha launched an attack to capture the port of Yanbu, but failed. On 3 January 1917, Faisal advanced north along the Red Sea coast and captured Wejh. The Arab forces numbered 70,000.
A regular Arab Army was established in 1917. The Arabs attacked the Hejaz railway, wearing down the Ottoman forces. In March 1917, Lawrence launched his first attack on the Hejaz railway. The attack on Aqaba captured the Ottoman port and transferred British supplies to the rebels.
In 1918, Arab irregulars attempted to destroy the Hejaz railway. They won a significant victory near the village of Tefes on 27 September 1918. The Battle of Megiddo The Ottoman Empire lost Syria. Arab forces reached Damascus on September 30, 1918 and captured the city. Medina did not surrender until January 1919.
Consequences of the Arab Revolt
Although the United Kingdom had promised the Arabs and Sharif Hussein an independent state before the Arab Revolt, it reneged on this promise after the revolt. They divided the region between themselves with the Sykes-Picot Agreement signed with France in 1916. In addition, a Jewish state was promised in Palestine with the Balfour Declaration signed in 1917. This series of events is generally The British betrayal of the Arabs is interpreted as.
In the Hijaz region, in Western Arabia, a government was established under the control of Hussein, which lasted for a short time and was not recognized by other countries. This government was conquered by Ibn Saud in 1925.
Many of today’s Arab states emerged as a reflection of the Arab Revolt and the events that followed.. Since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, there has been political turmoil in the region and no permanent order has been achieved. Following the mandates, various Arab states were established in the region and as a result of the independent state promised to the Jews, these states experienced two major wars with Israel. The conflicts continue today.
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