Arab Revolt

From 1916 to 1918 Arab forces led by the Sharif of Mecca rose against the Ottoman Empire with British support during World War I.

Overview

Sharif Hussein bin Ali of Mecca, encouraged by correspondence with the British High Commissioner in Egypt Henry McMahon promising support for Arab independence, launched the revolt in June 1916. Arab forces under his sons Faisal and Abdullah attacked Ottoman garrisons and the Hejaz railway, assisted by British officers including T. E. Lawrence. The capture of Aqaba in 1917 and the entry into Damascus in 1918 were key moments. After the war, however, the secret Sykes-Picot agreement divided the region between British and French mandates. Faisal briefly became king of Syria before the French expelled him, then king of Iraq, while Abdullah became emir of Transjordan.