Chapter 702 The Threat from the Persian Gulf
In the holy city of Mecca, a tense atmosphere spread in the hot air. Sharif and the Hashemite family officially stood on the opposite side of the Ottoman Empire. From this moment on, the Hashemite family was no longer the guardian of the holy land respected by the rulers of the Ottoman Empire, but an Arab leader fighting for Arab independence.
Mecca, the isolated holy city, was bombarded with gunfire. Looking up, white flames and gray smoke continued to rise from the battle area in the distance. That was the Arab rebels firing at the armed forces loyal to the Ottomans. Shells kept falling on the land not far away, flashing white light and orange-red flames, and people's ears kept echoing with rumbling sounds. The air was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder, and if lava was added, it would be a scene of hell.
Sharif knew that since he had made his choice, there was no turning back. Some things could not be done just because of the Hashemite family's reputation, and he could not get away with it. The last caliph of the Arab Empire eventually died at the hands of the Mongolian army led by Hulagu.
Sharif clenched his fists tightly as he watched the intense battle. The Ottoman-controlled area had been cut off by the British-Indian Army that crossed the Sinai Peninsula. The number of armed forces in Hejaz that were loyal to the Ottoman Empire could be counted, so it should be considered safe at the moment. Sharif mustered up some courage when he thought of this.
Sharif had sent away his three sons, so he had nothing to worry about. The process of taking back Mecca and returning it to the hands of the Arabs began from that day on, which was of great significance to all Arabs.
Lawrence, who was wearing a turban, also deeply agreed with this. Although he came here with McMahon's mission, he didn't know what the British top leaders were thinking. Being able to witness the Arabs successfully separate from the Ottoman Empire and become an independent entity, an ordinary British person of Lawrence's class didn't know what it meant.
Although the Hejaz region can be regarded as a weak area under the rule of the Ottoman Empire due to the special nature of Mecca, it is not easy to solve the problem without bloodshed. For 600 years, the Ottoman Empire represented the glory of the peace-loving civilization and did what the Arab Empire did not do, conquering Constantinople, which had never fallen for a thousand years, crossing the Dardanelles and penetrating into Europe, and even completely controlling the southern coast of the Mediterranean, forming a semi-encirclement of Europe.
If Europeans had not opened up the New World, under normal circumstances, the dispute between the two major religions would have ended with the complete victory of the Ottoman Empire. The ancient glory cannot be easily given up.
What's more, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire also called himself the Caliph, and many Arab tribes strongly responded to this holy war against the Allied Powers.
The Hashemite family believed that they were rebelling on behalf of the Arabs, and it was also the Arab tribal armed forces that stopped the Hashemite family. The other side also believed that the Hashemite family's rebellion against the Ottoman Empire at this time was a betrayal of the entire Arab world.
Since both sides have their own reasons, why not let everything be decided on the battlefield?
The battle to capture Mecca was actually not smooth, but the Hashemite family had foreign aid, and Britain was the world's number one maritime power. It is true that they might underestimate the defensive capabilities of the Ottoman capital, but Mecca, which was only separated by the Red Sea, would not be highly regarded by Britain.
Only two destroyers were used to escort the troop transport ship to send a regiment of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps across the Red Sea Strait. These Australian and New Zealand Army Corps soldiers finally arrived in Mecca, which was still in the midst of war.
The appearance of the Union Jack was decisive. When the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps appeared near Mecca, it also marked the end of this struggle. The Hashemite family controlled the religious holy city of Mecca, and the spark of the impending Arab uprising appeared.
However, the current situation in Mecca is not a big help to the overall situation of Britain in the Middle East. After the early success, the British Indian Army penetrated into the vicinity of Palestine and was defeated by the Ottoman Third Army mobilized by Jemal Pasha. The British Indian Army, with the Indian Army as the main force, was still slightly behind before the Ottoman Empire was determined to resist.
Of course, Sharif doesn't know all this yet. For problems on land, the French and Russians are more reliable. The British army that can fight is all in France!
"Dear Mr. Sharif, you have finally achieved your goal." Lawrence said happily, "I believe that the fate of the Arabs will be decided by you in the future."
"I also thank you, Mr. Lawrence, for communicating with those British soldiers and preventing them from entering the holy land." Sharif's attitude was also sincere. Mecca has great religious significance. Once it is destroyed by the soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, it will be an earth-shaking event for the entire Middle East.
"This is what I should do. In fact, I don't like the way many people think. Every civilization has its own unique features." Lawrence waved his hand and said, "Where are your other two sons?"
Since the beginning of the uprising, Lawrence has not seen Sharif's eldest son Ali and third son Faisal. Only Abdullah is still with his father. Could something unexpected have happened?
"I asked them to go somewhere else and advocate that Arabs from other places stand on our side." Sharif's answer was concise, but he did not disclose where they went.
In fact, his two sons disguised themselves and went to other Arab gathering places. The third son, Faisal, went to Syria, and the eldest son, Ali, went to the Persian Gulf and persuaded the local Arabs to stand on his side.
The British and Indian Army that set out from Egypt undoubtedly did not achieve Churchill's vision. The Navy Minister believed that the combat effectiveness of the Ottoman army was not worth mentioning, forgetting that the combat effectiveness of the British Army was not much higher. The small part that was higher was engaged in trench warfare on the Western Front. The remaining British and Indian coalition forces, mainly composed of the Indian Army, had no advantage when facing the Ottoman army.
The fighting on the eastern Mediterranean front had made no progress, and the landing battle in the Dardanelles was also not optimistic. When the fighting came to a standstill, the British Cabinet appointed Army Lieutenant General Ian Hamilton as the next commander, replacing the previous Admiral Carden who returned to the country to recuperate on the grounds of being injured.
Hamilton was considered a gifted officer, known for his bravery, charm, and intelligence, and had a fine literary accomplishment, earning him the nickname the Poet General.
Ian Hamilton fought abroad for most of his life. For twenty-five years he accompanied the British Army in battles around the world, with battlefields spread across Asia, Africa and Latin America. He played a vital role in the campaign to annex Burma, turning it into a province of British India.
Ian Hamilton commanded the British army to occupy the border fortress of Minhra and marched straight to Mandalay, the capital of Burma. The Burmese regular army could not resist the British army, which had advantages in numbers and equipment. Finally, the British army entered Mandalay. Then in the second year, Burma was declared a British territory and an independent province of British India.
Because of his long experience in foreign combat, Ian Hamilton's appointment was unanimously approved by all cabinet ministers to take over the military operations against the Ottoman Empire.
Ian Hamilton took over at the same time that the British Indian Army was defeated by the Ottoman Third Army and the news of the Hashemite Arab Revolt came. Hamilton's only knowledge of his enemy came from the Ottoman Army Manual, an incomplete map of the combat zone, and a guidebook to Constantinople that he bought at the last minute in a bookstore. When he left London, he didn't even know the battle had begun.
The landing battle in the Dardanelles was at a standstill. After taking command of the Middle East battlefield, Ian Hamilton quickly assessed the overall situation.
Ian Hamilton had a good understanding of the Indian Army due to his long-term service in British India. After arriving in Egypt, he quickly reorganized the Indian Army.
When looking at the overall situation, Ian Hamilton discovered the unusual situation in the Persian Gulf. "The 160,000 British Indian Army is in Oman. Are they on vacation there? I believe everyone can see that the local Arabs in Mesopotamia are very important for the military operations against the Ottoman Empire and instigating the Arab resistance. Why not launch military operations in the Persian Gulf?"
"The local situation in the Persian Gulf is rather special. The Ottoman Eighth Army occupying the Kuwait front line is a Christian Legion organized by a foreign Pasha." The staff officer of the command replied.
"Isn't this better? We can try to get them on our side," Ian Hamilton interrupted.
"But I heard that this man is a businessman with strong pro-German ideas, and he believes that European countries' attacks on the Ottoman Empire did not take into account the safety of local Christians. Therefore, he raised this Ottoman Eighth Army in the name of Christian self-protection, and he is very hostile to any military force that enters the territory."
"It's time now. This is a world war! I received some support before I came here. The cabinet has decided to place two Japanese divisions in the Middle East battlefield. I mean, in Oman." General Ian Hamilton said firmly, "We must solve the problem of the Persian Gulf before we can solve the Ottoman Empire as soon as possible."
After Ian Hamilton took office, he quickly adjusted the troops, put the British Indian Corps in Oman to use, supplemented two Japanese divisions, and took an offensive posture against the Mesopotamian Basin.
"Of course, the British and I cannot fight a world war. They are a country and I am just a businessman. But should the war be limited to the Persian Gulf? There is nothing that cannot be fought!" Sheffield took a look at the telegram from Kuwait and laughed, "I deliver 1,000 motorcycles and 300 trucks every month. Now is the time to let our enemies know that war costs money."
(End of this chapter)
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