Lawrence and the Arab Revolt | Jim Tanner

In this talk Jim Tanner will look at Lawrence of Arabia and the attacks on the Hejaz Railway in what is today western Saudi Arabia. This presentation was given to a live, online audience.
Jim's 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.
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.
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[@jerrytugable]

I take this to be a recording of a live lecture. T.E.Lawrence is unapologetically one of my greatest heros from history, and I have read The Seven Pillars of Wisdom from cover to cover countless times. I'm eagerly looking forward to your talk.

[@karaokeprincezz]

Have you read Scott Anderson's Lawrence in Arabia? Epic.

[@dukecraig2402]

I'm American and he's one of my heroes, anyone who comes from a climate like the one I'm from and strikes out into the desert like he did is a true bad ass, the US Army used to send me to the California desert and it about killed me, and the Mojave is a pussy desert compared to the Sahara, I just can't imagine what it was like doing what he did on a camel instead of an armored vehicle like I had. What a bad ass he was.

[@kidmohair8151]

@@dukecraig2402 a desert of cats?

[@JohnDoe-tw8es]

I agree

[@RickDeckard6531]

Another excellent talk at WFA. The political and economic connection between Germany and Turkey exists to this day, with millions of Turkish Gastarbeiter and their offspring living in Germany.

[@JohnDoe-tw8es]

Spent around a month looking around Jordan a few years back. It is a beautiful breathtaking place. I loved it , the people were friendly and enjoyed many conversations with them. I asked some of them what they thought of Lawrence , some actually said he was a hero, others said he was a British imperialist . I always considerd him a hero myself, one of the few. It is to bad the Jordanians do not see him as he was , or perhaps how I see he was.

[@karaokeprincezz]

I respect TE Lawrence.

[@JohnDoe-tw8es]

Having read Lawrences book I have been onto google earth and tried to find " Mafraq". I do not think that is the correct name or perhaps it changed after Lawrence. He attacked a train there and would love to find it on google . Does anyone know what Mafraq is called today ?

[@joeyj6808]

Seems to me that Lawrence was another victim of Britain's imperial greed, like so many who sacrificed so much for her. Ungrateful nation. Of course, nobody was abused like the Arabs by the British, who tended to use and discard allies the moment their utility became inconvenient for their imperialist plans. What truly amazed me was the bravery and fighting skill of the average Ottoman soldier. Having read a few books about the last years of the Ottoman Empire, it's apparent that they have gotten a terrible reputation (like the French Armee in W2) that is undeserved. Had their leaders been competent, and actually cared about their people, the war might have been a very different ordeal for the Entente.

[@philiprufus4427]

The Brits were doing the same as every other European (and some Asian) country at the time. I suggest you check out the history of some modern day EEC members. The Brits seem to have been better at it. The Empire The Brits brought down in North Africa (The Ottoman) lasted several centuries.

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

It'd be nice if this channel made content in a style more akin to Lindybeige so that people who are interested but not super informed about WW1 could watch these and understand. Because for most people I can imagine it is quite daunting with the way the information is communicated and in extremely long lectures as well with very complex and extremely specific/in-depth topics, that probably remind people of high school. A lot of people dislike history from a young age sadly becuz of the way it is communicated and told in schools which is an absolute shame. That said this is a great lecture and props to all the work, research and time invested in it.

[@davidpnewton]

"When Shakespeare was killed he was wearing British Army uniform and not a tea towel on top of his head." What an absolutely disgraceful and racist comment that is. The questioner who said that should be ashamed of himself.

[@dukecraig2402]

What's a tea towel?

[@georgea.567]

Grow up the Arabs are pretty racist themselves.