THE ARAB NATIONAL MOVEMENT IN WORLD WAR I

The Arab revolt of Sharif Éusayn of Mecca in the years 1916 - 1918 is considered in the historical literature, both scholarly and popular, as the only revolutionary movement of the Arabs against the Ottoman Empire during World War I that reached the stage of realization and success during this period. By no means was it the only revolt of the Arabs against the Turks during the World War, but its success has over-shadowed the other plans and attempts at revolt and has caused them to be erased from historical memory. However, five secret agreements, made during the course of the First World War, foretold the break-up of the Ottoman Empire. The nations involved in this prospective carving up of the Ottoman realm were Britain, France, Russia and Italy. Of these four signatories of the various treaties in question, Russia voluntarily relinquished her claims against Turkey shortly before the advent of the Bolshevik revolution and Italy was forced to play a minor role in the post-war apportionment of territory by the pressure of events and great-Power politics.