1917 Sinai and Palestine Campaign
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| 1917 Sinai and Palestine Campaign | |
|---|---|
| Name | 1917 Sinai and Palestine Campaign |
| Partof | Middle Eastern theatre of World War I |
| Date | March–December 1917 |
| Place | Sinai Peninsula, Southern Levant, Palestine, Sinai, Gaza |
| Result | British Empire victories leading to Ottoman withdrawal from southern Palestine |
| Combatant1 | United Kingdom; British Empire forces including Egypt forces; Indian Army; Australian Imperial Force; New Zealand Expeditionary Force; Royal Flying Corps; Royal Naval Air Service |
| Combatant2 | Ottoman Empire; German Empire forces including Ottoman Army units; Ertogrul Regiment; Yildirim Army Group |
| Commander1 | Archibald Murray; Herbert Plumer; Edmund Allenby; Harry Chauvel; Philip Chetwode; William Birdwood |
| Commander2 | Fakhri Pasha; Mustafa Kemal Atatürk; Jamal Pasha; Erich von Falkenhayn; Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein |
| Strength1 | ~150,000 (varied formations) |
| Strength2 | ~50,000–100,000 (varied formations) |
1917 Sinai and Palestine Campaign The 1917 Sinai and Palestine Campaign saw a series of coordinated operations in the Sinai Peninsula, Palestine, and the southern Levant that transformed the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. British Empire forces under new leadership achieved breakthroughs against the Ottoman Empire and its German Empire allies, culminating in the capture of Beersheba and the fall of Jerusalem later in the year. The campaign intertwined desert warfare, cavalry maneuvers, and combined-arms tactics influenced by contemporaneous operations on the Western Front and the Gallipoli Campaign.
Background and strategic context
By 1917 the Ottoman Empire front in the Levant remained critical to Allied plans linking the Suez Canal defense to operations against Baghdad and the Hejaz Railway. Earlier engagements at Battle of Romani and the First Battle of Gaza had alerted the Egyptian Expeditionary Force leadership to the challenges posed by commanders such as Kress von Kressenstein and elements of the Yildirim Army Group. Strategic considerations involved coordination with the Royal Navy, relations with the Khedivate of Egypt apparatus, and influence from political actors including David Lloyd George and Arthur Balfour. The campaign was shaped by intelligence from Arab Revolt contacts with Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca and by German advisors such as Otto Liman von Sanders.
Forces and organization
The principal Allied formation, the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, evolved under commanders like Archibald Murray and later Edmund Allenby, incorporating corps drawn from the British Army, Australian Imperial Force, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and the Indian Army. Cavalry formations included the Desert Mounted Corps commanded by Harry Chauvel and units such as the ANZAC Mounted Division and the Yeomanry Mounted Division. Artillery and infantry support derived from formations including the 52nd (Lowland) Division, 54th (East Anglian) Division, and the 53rd (Welsh) Division. Air support came from the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service squadrons, later unified as the Royal Air Force. Ottoman-German forces comprised corps under generals including Kress von Kressenstein, elements of the Fourth Army (Ottoman Empire), and German detachments led by officers like Falkenhayn.
Operations and battles of 1917
Operations began with consolidation after the Battle of Romani and included offensives and set-piece battles such as the Second Battle of Gaza, the Third Battle of Gaza, and the pivotal Battle of Beersheba. The Beersheba capture involved coordinated assaults by the Anzac Mounted Division, the Imperial Camel Corps, and the Australian Mounted Division, featuring the famous cavalry charge by the 10th Light Horse Regiment. Subsequent operations included the capture of El Arish and advances toward Gaza and Tel el Khuweilfeh, with engagements against Ottoman positions at Sheria and Huj. Key commanders in action included Philip Chetwode, William Birdwood, Herbert Plumer, and Ottoman commanders such as Fakhri Pasha and Jamal Pasha.
Logistics, terrain, and technology
Logistical ingenuity underpinned the campaign: the construction of the Palestine Railway, extension of the Suez Canal support lines, and the establishment of water pipelines and wells across the Sinai Peninsula. Supply chains integrated units from India, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, supported by the Royal Army Service Corps and Royal Engineers. Terrain features—Negev Desert, sand dunes, wadis such as Wadi Gaza, and the coastal plain—necessitated adaptations in cavalry deployment, artillery positioning, and air reconnaissance tactics by squadrons such as No. 14 Squadron RAF and No. 1 Squadron RFC. Technological factors included wireless communication, trench mortars, field guns like the 18-pounder gun, and the use of armoured cars and motor transport units, with German advisors employing countermeasures learned from the Western Front.
Casualties and aftermath
Casualty figures reflected intense fighting: Allied forces sustained significant losses among infantry, cavalry, and mounted divisions including the ANZAC contingents, while Ottoman-German losses depleted formations within the Fourth Army. The capture of strategic points reduced Ottoman control over southern Palestine and opened the path to Jerusalem in December, affecting subsequent campaigns toward Jaffa and Haifa. The campaign influenced troop reallocations, with units transferred to operations in Mesopotamia and the Caucasus Campaign, and contributed to the weakening of Ottoman defensive capabilities prior to 1918 offensives.
Political and diplomatic consequences
Victories in the Sinai and Palestine theater affected regional politics and imperial diplomacy: success bolstered David Lloyd George’s government and influenced British policy toward Egypt, Palestine, and the Arab Revolt. Military gains intersected with declarations such as the Balfour Declaration and with negotiations involving Sharif Hussein and emissaries from the French Third Republic, including considerations under the Sykes–Picot Agreement. The campaign shaped postwar arrangements affecting the League of Nations mandates and the eventual establishment of administrative structures in British Mandate for Palestine and Mandatory Iraq.