Middle East

“The position of Great Britain in Palestine is one of trust, but it is also one of right. For the discharge of that trust and for the high purposes we have in view, supreme sacrifices were made by all these soldiers of the British Empire, who gave up their lives and their blood. Therefore I beg you to realize that we shall strive to be loyal to the promises we have made both to the Arab and to the Jewish people, and that we shall fail neither in the one nor in the other.” —WSC

“We are told that there are a handful of terrorists on one side and 100,000 British troops on the other. How much longer are they to stay there? And stay for what? In order that on a threat to kill hostages we show ourselves unable to execute a sentence duly pronounced by a competent tribunal. It is not good enough. I never saw anything less recompensive for the efforts now employed than what is going on in Palestine.” —WSC, 31 January 1947

“[I]t is impossible to avoid expressing deep regret at the many changes of tactics and method, at the needless disappointment created throughout world Jewry by the failure to fulfill the hopes which the party opposite excited by their promises and convictions at the General Election, and above all, at the lack of any policy worthy of the name. This absence of any policy or decision on these matters, which have become more complicated as they proceed, has allowed havoc and hatred to flare and run rife throughout Palestine for more than a year and no one knows where we are today.” —WSC, 12 November 1946

The Middle East was ruled by the Ottoman Empire for almost 500 years, but by 1918 it was occupied by a British army of one million. No other major military force was on scene. British plans were in shambles: subversive foreign plots were suspected. At this truly horrendous moment, Lloyd George in effect turned to Churchill and said, in effect: You deal with it. Britain would often do that when all else had failed and other policies had proven not to work.

Brad Faught has given us an expertly researched and thoughtfully argued examination of one of the seminal diplomatic events of the 20th century. He explains why British officials like Curzon and Allenby opposed a Jewish homeland within the Mandate of Palestine. Allenby, aided by Lawrence, was the general who had conquered the Ottoman provinces in the First World War.

"After reviewing all the material in the archives, I cannot think of anyone else who might have done what Churchill did. I remember my discussions with Martin Gilbert, who kept saying to me: ‘He was phenomenal. You have to write as if he was phenomenal.’ And he was.”

Reguer shows how Churchill created modern Iraq, Jordan and Palestine after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the First World War.

The question was not could the Eighth Army hold on, but how quickly could it counterattack? Auchinleck had asked for six weeks—a request that helped bring about his removal. The new team—theatre commander Lieutenant General Harold Alexander and Monty at Eighth Army—would take twice that to get ready. But Montgomery had Brooke guarding his back and Churchill needed a sure victory. Now Monty had to deliver it.

London has no statue of Claude Auchinleck, the man who stopped Rommel and the last commander of the Indian Army. Perhaps there should be one.

Auchinleck met seemingly impossible challenges in running up a noble record in North Africa and India during the Second World War.

Churchill believed any obstacle could be surmounted, while Wavell prepared for the worst. Both traits had served Britain well.

Confronted with the seeming impossible in the Middle East, Wavell acquitted himself well and was promoted as often as he was sacked.