Nationalism
By the start of WWI, the Ottoman Empire was not even half of its former self. Most of its territories had either become self-determined. independent nations or been conquered by European rule. All that remained was Turkish and Arab land. Religious differences interrupted peace within the Empire since the three major religions of Turkish Muslims, Roman Catholics, and Orthodox Christians had to divide the remaining land. As the Empire began to decline, many ethnic groups began to explore the idea of independence (Peaple 13). The popularity of more westernized ideas also began to influence these groups, especially the Arabs (Rise of Arab Nationalism-The Ottoman Empire). Thus Ottoman Empire was faced with a rise in Arab nationalism. This social unrest within the Empire finally resulted in revolts and the eventual entry of the Ottoman Empire in the war.
During WWI the Empire’s army primarily consisted of patriotic Turks and no Arabs. Britain took this to its advantage, attempting to break up the Empire even further by offering the Arabs their own kingdom. This glitch in social division made the British task of seizing territories even easier (Alkhateeb 16).
During WWI the Empire’s army primarily consisted of patriotic Turks and no Arabs. Britain took this to its advantage, attempting to break up the Empire even further by offering the Arabs their own kingdom. This glitch in social division made the British task of seizing territories even easier (Alkhateeb 16).