Between July 1920 and February 1921, in the territory known as Mesopotamia--now the modern state of Iraq--an Arab uprising came perilously close to inflicting a shattering defeat upon the British Empire. A huge peasant army led by Shi'i clerics, Baghdad notables, disaffected sheikhs and former Ottoman army officers surrounded and besieged British garrisons with sandbagged entrenchments; British columns and armoured trains were ambushed and destroyed; and well-armed British gunboats were sunk or captured. The quest for oil was central to Britain's Middle East policy during the First World War and was one of the principal reasons for its continuing occupation of Iraq. However, with around 131,000 Arabs in arms at one stage of the conflict, the British were very nearly driven out. Only a massive infusion of Indian troops and the widespread use of aircraft prevented a total rout. This book is the history of the first British occupation of Iraq and the revolt against it in 1920--the most serious armed uprising against British rule int eh twentieth century. Using a wealth of primary sources, author Ian Rutledge brings central players such as Winston Churchill, Arnold Wilson, T.E. Lawrence, Gertrude Bell and Sit Mark Sykes vividly to life in this gripping account.
About the Author
Ian Rutledge is an economist and historian. He obtained his undergraduate degree and PhD in Economic History from the University of Cambridge. Previously an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at Sheffield University’s Management School, he has taught at the Universities of London and Sheffield, and for the Workers’ Educational Association. Rutledge has contributed numerous papers to academic journals, including the Cambridge Journal of Economics, and has published articles in national newspapers such as the Financial Times and The Guardian. His other works include the critically acclaimed Enemy on the Euphrates: The Battle for Iraq, 1914–1921 (also by Saqi Books) and Addicted to Oil: America’s Relentless Drive for Energy Security.
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