Thomas Edward Lawrence was born in 1888 in Wales to an illegitimate family that lived as wanderers. He earned a scholarship to study history at Oxford University where he became fascinated with castles and the Middle East. His thesis involved studying Crusader castles in Syria and Palestine. During this time, he became interested in the people and culture of the region. He was assigned to British intelligence in the Middle East during World War I. Lawrence helped rally Arab forces against the Ottoman Empire by leading successful attacks including the capture of Aqaba in 1917. However, the promises made to Arabs for independence following the war were broken by agreements between Britain and France that divided the region between them.

1. Lawrence In Arabia
Thomas Edward Lawrence and the making of the modern Middle East

2. Family and Youth
Sir ThomasChapman and Sarah Junner
Thomas Edward born in 1888. Second of four sons.
Technically, an “illegitimate” child.
Family lived as wanderers until T.E. was 8 years old.
Settled in Oxford where he was educated.

3. Family and Youth
Different versions of childhood life.
T.E. and older brother spoke of a fine childhood although family was somewhat poor.
Younger brothers told of abuse by strict mother.
Although he had abandoned his title, Lawrence’s father did receive a large sum of money from his estate. An annual income between 400 and 1,000 Pounds.

4. Family and Youth
Earned a scholarsip to Jesus College, Oxford where he studied history.
Had a long standing fascination with architecture and castles.
Thesis was a study of Crusader castles and involved periods of study in Syria and Palestine.

5. Early Adulthood
Lawrence often tested his physical stamina. LONG walking and cycling trips to study castles in Europe.
Senior Thesis took him to Syria and Palestine where he walked several hundred miles.
“This is glorious country for wandering in for hospitality is something more than a name.”

6. Carchemish
“The foreigners come out here always to teach, whereas they had much better to learn.”
His interests were in the people and the land. Not the archaeological work.
He was in the countryside while the Ottoman Empire began to lose its control.

7. A Changing World
By 1911 the Young Turks had taken over in Constantinople.
Turks tried to appeal to everyone in order to maintain Empire.
Modernization
Islam
Turanism, (unifying Turkic-speaking world)

8. World War I and Lawrence Of Arabia
To protect their European holdings, Ottoman Empire joined Germany and Central Powers during World War I.
French and English intervention in pre-war Middle East made the region a hodgepodge of allegiances and promises.
England ruled Egypt. Controlled Suez Canal and western Arabia.
France had interests in Modern Syria and what is now Jordan.

9. World War I and Lawrence of Arabia
Lawrence was assigned as a Junior officer to the Military Intelligence Unit of the British Egyptian Expeditionary Force.
It is impossible to understand the lack of communication in that era.
In various places, but especially in far flung outposts of empires, Junior officers acted alone, and with relative impunity.

10. Lawrence at War
On German insistence, Turks launched a failed attack on Suez Canal in 1915.
Lawrence saw opportunities to rally an Arab force against Turks.
Focused on Alexandretta. Lawrence believed an occupation of Alexandretta would stir both Armenians and Syrians against Turkey.

11. Lawrence at War.
Winston Churchill, Overrode military plans to attack Alexandretta.
Instead launched attack at Gallipoli.
Idea was to land closer to Constantinople and break Turkey Faster.
Lawrence’s idea is generally accepted to have offered better chances of success.

12. Lawrence at War
1917 Attack on Aqaba made Lawrence Famous
Movie and most other impressions made it much more dramatic than reality.
Lawrence had over 5,000 troops. Both Arab and British naval support.
Turkish Garrison at Aqaba fewer than 500 men.
Public Relations images were hugely important.

13. Lawrence at War
Attack at Yarmuk Railroad bridge.
Failed, but Lawrence took a very small group of men into enemy territory in open terrain.
Bridge later blown up. Again, public relations images were significant at home.

14. Post War Middle East

15. Post War Middle East
Lawrence had recruited Arab assistance with the Promise of independent rule post-War.
1915 Hussein McMahon correspondence roughly aligned with Lawrence’s commitments.
1915-1916 Sykes-Picot Treaty established an entirely different reality.
Only ro be resolved in 1922.

16. Cairo Conference
Winston Churchill called Lawrence and a small group to Cairo.
The agreement reached their turned over Syria and Transjordan to various pro-European families.
Disregarded inter-tribal, familial, religious rivalries.

17. Protectorate of Palestine