The presentation will be live and online.
While the reasons are many and complex the decision made by the Ottoman Turks in October 1914 to enter the war against the Entente led directly to the turmoil that continues to affect the Middle East today. Back then, seeking to take advantage of the Turks being distracted elsewhere, the Arabs of the Hejaz revolted. British military support to the Arabs, identified most famously with the activities of TE Lawrence, was to be a fundamental part of Arab success.
Jim Tanner will talk about the Arab Revolt with a particular focus on the campaign against the Hejaz Railway in what is today western Saudi Arabia. His consideration is less about the clash of empires and more about an astonishing feat of railway building, a British guided insurgency and a modern-day journey through a stunning panorama where the archaeology of the Great War remains largely untouched.
The Hejaz railway before the First World War
Lawrence Of Arabia’s assault on a Turkish troop carrier from David Lean's Film.
The Hejaz railway after the First World War.
Members wishing to participate will need to register: details of how to register will be circulated via The Western Front Association's newsletter 'Trench Lines'. If you are not a subscriber to 'Trench Lines' please subscribe now.
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It is also possible to register by clicking this link: Lawrence and the Arab Revolt
The talk will be undertaken using the 'Zoom' software which is freely available. It may not be necessary to load the software to your PC / iPad etc: but we would recommend doing so if you wish to participate in this event.
Please Note : > Once registrations hit capacity (we have a 1000 limit on the webinars) then you won't be able to register. If this happens, you can still watch the event via the Facebook Live Stream (subject to any technical hitches) on our Facebook page. Alternatively, these are loaded to our YouTube channel where they can be watched a few weeks after the event.