War in the Middle East and Africa
1914, October 29 - Turkey declares war on the Allies.
Russian Black sea Fleet attacked. British shell Turkish position in the Dardanelles
and move troops into Egypt. German colonies in Africa fall to British forces.
Turkish forces move into Caucasus Mountains
1914, December 29 - Battle of Sarikamish
between Turkey and Russia. Russia will win this battle as Turkish losses
(including desertions) exceed the 100,000 mark.
1914 - South African forces under Louis Botha and Jan Smuts defeat former
Boer War General Christian De Wet who led a Pro-German rebellion.
1915-1916 - Gallipoli campaign.
Failed Allied attack on the Dardanelles costs 250,000 Allied casualties
and the loss of six battleships. Turkish losses are similar but they claim the
legitimate victory.
1915 - Armenian Genocide.
Between 1 to 1.5 million Armenians will die in this Genocide at the hands
of the Turks. Armenian rebels lash out at the Turks joining forces
with the Russians.
1915 - Turks fail to take Suez Canal.. British forces
push into Mesopotamia. Advance to Kut but suffer a setback at Ctesiphon in
November.
1916 - Start of the Arab War of Independence. Key players
Hussein Ibn Ali (Sharif
of Mecca) assisted by his son and TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia).
Allied forces will take Mecca and Medina in June.
1916 - Turks take the besieged city of Kut
however Turkish forces are pushed back in the Sinai. British and
Indian troops go northward on the offensive along the Tigris.
1917 - British victory against Turks at Magruntein. Gaza
falls in March of the year and Jerusalem in December. General Edmund Allenby is
hailed as the British hero. British forces will retake Kut and chase the Turks
to Baghdad. Turkish resistance is weak.
1918 - Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan declare
independence. British defeat Turks at the Battle
of Megiddo and then secures additional victories at Jaffa, Damascus, Homs
and Aleppo. Turkish forces defeated in Beirut. Turkey leaves war on October 30
1918 with an armistice.
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