“Lawrence of Arabia” also known as T. E. Lawrence is without a doubt one of the most famous Englishman of all time. His fame is attributed to his outstanding military endeavors, together with his diplomatic, literary, academic and archaeological accomplishments. This soldier who was Britain’s son and Arabia’s uncrowned King had the glamorous title “Lawrence of Arabia” given to him due to his remarkable military career in the Middle East.
Winston Churchill described Lawrence, “as one of the greatest beings alive in our time. I do not see his like elsewhere. I fear whatever our need we shall never see his like again.”
His career began in the academic sphere with an Undergraduate Degree in History at Jesus College, Oxford. He had an active lifelong interest in ancient archaeology and pursued this whilst a student. His studies were highly successful in developing him into a very competent middle eastern archaeologist. His studies focus on the strongholds of the Crusaders of the Middle Ages and the Hittites. After graduation, he found work as an archaeological assistant at Jarabulus, Syria the site of Carchemish. The report on the dig was published in ‘Carchemish: Report on the Excavations at Djerabis on Behalf of the British Museum’. This research greatly increased knowledge about mid east archaeology, however, Lawrence’s work also involved some intelligence gathering for military purposes.
In December 1913 the museum directed Lawrence to join Captain Stewart Newcombe of the Royal Engineers in Beersheva, then part of Palestine, for a six-week survey. On the surface, the expedition was archaeological: to look at the Biblical, Nabatean and Byzantine sites in the northern Sinai and southern Negev deserts for the Palestine Exploration Fund. The real purpose was to spy on Turkish defenses in southern Palestine. He noted that Turkish defenses were stable and could be easily attacked by guerillas. During this period of involvement in archaeological research in the Middle East, he developed a dislike of the Ottoman Empire and developed a strong admiration for the Arabs, and especially the Bedouin tribes and their free spirit.
In August 1914 war broke out in Europe, Lawrence, back in England, entered the army as a second lieutenant, he was 26 years of age. His unique knowledge of the middle east placed him in the Intelligence Office at Cairo. The Arabs believed that the involvement of the Ottoman Turks meant that they could use this as an opportunity to repel the Ottoman Empire from the Arab world altogether. Lawrence was given the job of liaising with the Arabs and helping them with their cause. Lawrence organized a series of guerilla-style attacks against Turkish strongholds with some Arab soldiers he had allied with, frequently attacking supply lines such as railway lines and lines of communication. Here Lawrence gained a reputation as a superb tactician and highly skilled in guerrilla warfare.
Whilst posted in Hejaz Saudi Arabia he developed a special relationship with Emir Feisal son of Sharif Hussein of Mecca and an important commander. Lawrence adapted to the cultural norms of the Arabs adopting their dress and language and mixed with them freely. Hallat Ammar train ambush on the Hejaz railway in 1917, this train ambush was led by Lawrence dressed in Bedouin dress. He led the attack together with some Arab soldiers using explosives and then looted the train. During this campaign, he attacked 79 bridges severing the Turkish supply lines. Lawrence and his army of irregulars then trekked 600 miles through the desert before taking the coastal city of Aqaba on the Red Sea coast on July 6, 1917. Freeing this location from Turkish control. Lawrence later went to the Yarmouk Valley to foil a Turkish retreat from Palestine with a bloody massacre which led to victorious entry into Damascus.
Lawrence was now regarded as one of the most remarkable men to serve in the British army. The third area Lawrence distinguished himself in was Arab- British diplomacy. In Damascus, he was ordered to set up an Arab Government under Feisal. At the Paris Peace Conference, he was appointed adviser on Middle East affairs to the British Colonial Office. Later he accused the British Government of repudiating promises made to the Arabs during the war to secure military support.
At the conference, he wore Arab dress to establish the claims of Feisal and the Arabian cause. Lawrence then retired from public life and went to live in exile. He then wrote his famous memoirs “Seven Pillars of Wisdom”. A masterpiece due to its exceptional first-hand account of these extraordinary events and its excellent and rich literary style. There is no book in the English language as readable and thoroughly stimulating as this masterpiece. He died suddenly as a result of a motorcycle accident on May 19, 1935.
