Three battles for the control of the key fortress-city of Gaza took place in 1917 between the `British’ force [with units from across the Empire, most notably the ANZACs] and the Turks. The Allies were repulsed twice but on theirthird attempt, under the newly-appointed General Allenby, a veteran of the Western Front where he was a vocal critic of Haig’s command, finally penetrated Turkish lines, captured southern Palestine and, as instructed by Lloyd George, took Jerusalem in time for Christmas, ending 400 years of Ottoman occupation. This third battle, similar in many ways to the contemporaneous fighting in France, is at the heart of this account, with consideration of intelligence, espionage, air-warfare, and diplomatic and political elements, not to mention the logistical and medical aspects of the campaign, particularly water. The generally overlooked Turkish defence, in the face of vastly superior numbers, is also assessed. Far from laying out and executing a pre-ordained plan, Allenby, who is probably still best remembered as T. E. Lawrence’s commanding officer in Arabia, was flexible and adaptable, responding to developmentsas they occurred.
JOHN D. GRAINGER is the author of numerous books on military history, ranging from the Roman period to the twentieth century.
JOHN D. GRAINGER is the author of numerous books on military history, ranging from the Roman period to the twentieth century.
Table of Content
Prologue: To The BorderThe Decision to Invade
Defeat at Gaza
Defeated Again
Contexts
Allenby
Third Gaza
The Turkish Lines Break
Pursuit
The Hills of Judea
Jerusalem
Conclusion
Appendix: Composition of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force
About the author
John D. Grainger is the author of numerous books for a variety of publishers, including nine for Boydell and Brewer, including The British Navy in the Baltic, Dictionary of British Naval Battles, The First Pacific War: Britain and Russia, 1854-56 and The British Navy in the Caribbean.Buy this ebook and get 1 more FREE!
Language English ● Format PDF ● Pages 300 ● ISBN 9781846154485 ● File size 20.0 MB ● Publisher Boydell & Brewer ● City Woodbridge ● Country GB ● Published 2006 ● Edition 1 ● Downloadable 24 months ● Currency EUR ● ID 8426576 ● Copy protection Adobe DRM
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