Page 31 - Balfour100-E

✡ Preparations Battle of Beersheba 31

tralia and New Zealand). In March 1916
the Australian Light Horse and New
Zealand Mounted Rifles were formed
into the Anzac Mounted Division.
During the previous months the
Turco-German force had established
a huge logistical base in the south of
Turkish Palestine and the central Sinai.
The Turks also built a railway line to
Beersheba which then continued fur-
ther south towards the Sinai. But the
Turco-German assault against the Suez
Canal was repulsed at Romani in Au-
gust 1916 by the EEF, who then began
forcing the Turks eastwards towards
the boundary with Turkish-controlled
Palestine. At about this time the Arab
revolt against the Turks, later associ-
ated with Emir Feisal and Colonel TE
Lawrence, also began.

Future of Palestine
During these very same months in 1916
the British and French had concluded a
general understanding for their future
geo-political aspirations in the region. tacked Gaza in March and April 1917.
While the French gained some of their ‘Never in history Both attacks failed, with great loss of
objectives, they failed in their overall British and Anzac lives. This was again
objective – sole control over Syria, had an army a humiliating defeat. New answers were
which included Palestine. called for, including a new commander.
All along the British had resisted entered the land The position was initially offered to
sole French control over the province General Jan Christian Smuts of South
of Syria, because they did not want to of Israel from that Africa. Smuts, however, declined the
face the French on the Suez Canal after command and it was offered to General
the War. The Russians, when presented direction.’ Edmund Allenby.
with the Anglo-French demands, like-
wise refused any French control, as they New plan – Beersheba
did not want a French/Roman Catholic Both Lloyd George and Balfour were
protectorate over the Holy Places in also influenced by evangelical Christian While awaiting the arrival of Allenby,
Palestine. teaching, which for several hundred the temporary commander, General Sir
The ensuing Sykes-Picot Agree- years had introduced into British so- Philip Chetwode drew up a completely
ment therefore left much of Palestine ciety the concept that Israel would one new strategy. Utilising valuable informa-
to be an internationalised zone, a status day be restored to its covenanted land. tion supplied by the Jewish espionage
yet to be determined by the Allies. Their sympathies lay with a British- ring Nili, as well as other intelligence,
Meanwhile towards the end of 1916 led conquest of the ‘Holy Land’. Lloyd he devised a radical plan to strike at the
the Anzac and British forces were ap- George in early 1917 ordered the EEF to more exposed south-eastern end of the
proaching El Arish. Their task of creat- begin its campaign into Palestine – with Turkish line - at Beersheba.
ing a buffer zone for the Suez Canal had Jerusalem as a major goal. Never in history had an army en-
been accomplished. ‘Coincidentally’ a tered the land of Israel from that direc-
new Government then came into power First attempt on Gaza tion. The Turks had numerous trenches
in Britain. The position of Prime Min- dug on the western and south-western
ister was offered to the Canadian-born To obtain this objective they needed areas of Beersheba where a likely in-
Andrew Bonar Law but he deferred to to capture Palestine with a mostly fantry attack was expected. However
the Welshman David Lloyd George. The British-Anzac force. By doing so, and they had fewer defences on the east –
Scot Arthur Balfour became Foreign with minimal French involvement, facing the dry and barren Negev desert
Secretary. Lloyd George in particular Britain would be in the best position – except the domineering Tel el Saba
was an ‘Easterner’ and preferred to afterwards to determine the political (ancient Beersheba). This was the weak
push for a victory in the East, as distinct future of the region. link in the Turkish defence system,
from the ‘Westerners’ who wanted to Aiming for Jerusalem by Christmas and Chetwode planned an attack from
place all the emphasis upon the West- 1917, the EEF under the command of that direction by the Anzac and British
ern Front. General Archibald Murray then at- mounted troops.