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Gallipoli & the Middle East 1914-1918 - From the Dardanelles to Mesopotamia (Paperback)
Loot Price: R471
Discovery Miles 4 710
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Gallipoli & the Middle East 1914-1918 - From the Dardanelles to Mesopotamia (Paperback)
Series: The History of WWI
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Loot Price R471
Discovery Miles 4 710
Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days
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The war in the Middle East was a struggle between the Ottoman
Turks, British, French and Russians for control of the lands and
peoples held by the Ottoman Empire since the 1400s. Although known
as the 'Sick Man of Europe', the empire still controlled
significant parts of the Middle East. Intense diplomatic pressure
from Germany culminated in a decision to join the Central Powers in
October 1914. Russia had long coveted Ottoman territory, and the
two empires clashed in the Caucasus. The Turks suffered a major
defeat at Sarakamis, and their lack of success continued into 1916.
However the Russian revolutions of 1917 led to the Russian forces
in the area dissipating, and the following year the new Muslim-only
'Army of Islam' was sent to claim oil-rich Baku for the Turks,
ousting the British-led defenders. In Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) the
Ottoman defenders were at first defeated by the British, but
General Townshend's decision to stay in Kut-al-Amara resulted in
his eventual surrender in April 1916, a huge blow to Allied morale.
The loss prompted the despatch of a much larger British force, and
the subsequent capture of Baghdad and Mosul by the war's end. The
persistent Ottoman threat to the Suez Canal led to the British
offensive in Palestine. The capture of Jerusalem by General Allenby
in 1917 was a welcome Christmas present for the Allies, while his
subsequent victory at Megiddo, combined with the Arab Revolt
inspired by Lawrence of Arabia, resulted in the capture of
Damascus. However the defining struggle in this theatre was
Gallipoli, the first time in over 200 years that Ottoman forces
stood toe-to-toe with European troops and prevailed. The Gallipoli
campaign had a profound effect not only on the Turks, but on the
British, Australian and New Zealand troops who fought there, and
marked the beginning of the end of European military supremacy in
the region. With the aid of over 300 photographs, complemented by
full-colour maps, Gallipoli and the Middle East provides a detailed
guide to the background and conduct of World War I in all the
theatres in which Ottoman forces were engaged.
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