Mesopotamian campaign

A First World War campaign in which British Empire forces fought Ottoman forces in Mesopotamia from 1914 to 1918. It included the British capture of Baghdad and the siege of Kut.

Tigris River: A major river flowing from eastern Turkey through Iraq to the Persian Gulf. It carried troops and supplies and constrained movement through the campaign's principal theater.
Battle of Shaiba: An April 1915 battle near Basra in which British Empire forces defeated an Ottoman attempt to retake the city. The victory secured the British foothold around Basra.
Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907: An agreement that delimited British and Russian spheres of influence in Persia. It reflects the strategic competition surrounding Britain's interests near the Persian Gulf.
Charles Townshend: A British general who commanded forces during the advance to Kut and surrendered there in 1916. His pursuit toward Baghdad ended with the encirclement and surrender at Kut.
Armistice of Mudros: The October 1918 armistice that ended hostilities between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies. It formally ended the Ottoman fighting that had continued in Mesopotamia.
Euphrates River: A major river flowing from Turkey through Syria and Iraq to the Persian Gulf. Its valley formed part of the broader theater, though most British operations followed the Tigris.
Battle of Ctesiphon: A November 1915 battle near Baghdad in which Ottoman forces checked the British advance. Its costly outcome preceded the retreat to Kut.
Anglo-Persian Oil Company: A British oil company founded in 1909 that developed Persia's first major oil fields. Its oil interests strengthened British concern for Gulf security before the campaign.
John Nixon: A British general who commanded the Indian Expeditionary Force in Mesopotamia during 1915. His orders drove the advance to Ctesiphon and the subsequent retreat to Kut.
British Mandate for Mesopotamia: A proposed League of Nations mandate for Iraq that Britain administered in practice after the First World War. The campaign's occupation fed into Britain's postwar administration of Iraq.

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