Middle Eastern theatre of World War I

The campaigns fought in the Middle East during World War I, primarily between the Allies and the Ottoman Empire. They spanned the Caucasus, Mesopotamia, Sinai and Palestine, and the Arabian Peninsula.

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Mesopotamian campaign: The First World War campaign in Ottoman-controlled Mesopotamia, fought chiefly by British and Indian forces. It centered on the Tigris and Euphrates and culminated in the capture of Baghdad.
Suez Canal: An artificial waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea through Egypt. The canal was a vital British imperial route and an Ottoman target during the campaign in Sinai.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk: An Ottoman officer who later founded the Republic of Turkey and became its first president. His command at Gallipoli helped make him a prominent figure in the Ottoman defense.
Armistice of Mudros: The October 1918 armistice that ended hostilities between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies. It formalized Ottoman defeat after Allied advances across the Middle Eastern fronts.
Western Front (World War I): The First World War front in Belgium and France, where the Allies and Central Powers fought largely from trench systems. Its continuous trench line contrasts with the theatre’s dispersed campaigns and varied terrain.
Sinai and Palestine campaign: The First World War campaign in which British-led forces fought Ottoman armies across Sinai and Palestine. Its advance from Egypt ended with the conquest of Ottoman Palestine and Syria.
Dardanelles: A narrow strait connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara and, through it, the Black Sea. Control of the strait was the central objective of the Gallipoli campaign.
T. E. Lawrence: A British officer and writer who worked with Arab forces during the Arab Revolt. His wartime liaison work linked British strategy with the revolt’s forces.
Treaty of Sèvres: The 1920 treaty that proposed partitioning the Ottoman Empire after its defeat in World War I. Its proposed settlement translated wartime defeat into a contested postwar partition.
Eastern Front (World War I): The First World War front in eastern and central Europe, fought chiefly between the Central Powers and Russia. Like the Caucasus front, it involved Russia, but its principal campaigns lay in Europe.