The Great War and the Middle East

Johnson, director of the Changing Character of War research program at Oxford University, examines the strategies of the WWI belligerents in the Middle East (and Southwest Asia), how well they were executed, and their post-war legacies. Using the classic “ends-ways-means” framework, Johnson describes each nation’s military and political strategy and then evaluates them all in terms of achievements and failures. His thesis is that a wide variety of competing issues drove a series of pragmatic choices that ultimately led the defeat of the Ottoman Turks. Strategies were rarely well-conceived or well-executed. The book ties all of the major operations in the theater together into a coherent, chronological narrative that includes the famous amphibious campaign in Gallipoli, the Arab Revolt, the oft-overlooked British campaigns to conquer Mesopotamia, and military and political maneuvers in Persia and Afghanistan. This broad history focuses primarily on military and political strategy, and battles are described only as they relate to strategic effects. The broad view and strategic focus of Johnson’s extensively researched study make it a valuable addition to the history of WWI, though it will appeal primarily to those already familiar with the material at hand. (Dec.)