Lawrence of Arabia in World War I

ThomasEdwardLawrence(1888-1935), better known as T. AND. Lawrence, was a British military man who became famous for joining the Arab tribes of the Middle East during the First World War, assisting them in their unification and instigating them in the struggle against the Turkish-Ottoman Empire, which at the time controlled the region. The experience of T. AND. Lawrence with Islamic culture was profound and striking, resulting in works such as desert revolt and The seven pillars of wisdom, therefore, he was nicknamed LawrencegivesArabia.

In the period before the war, T. AND. Lawrence was dedicated to the study of language, cartography, photography and archaeological excavations, having developed a broad interest in regions and cultures different from those that formed in Europe. These studies were absolutely fundamental during the war, above all for articulating with Arabs and drawing up combat strategies against the Turkish-Ottoman Empire.

Lawrence enlisted as a volunteer in the British Army and went to serve in the Middle East. In Cairo, Egypt, he gained a greater understanding of the “Arab cause” and the problems surrounding the revolts led by men like the

in GoFeisal and the desert Bedouin tribes. Lawrence was charged, in 1916, with mediating the alliance between England and the Arabs in the war. Between 1916 and 1918, Lawrence achieved enormous prominence, becoming not only a bureaucratic mediator, but a legitimate military leader among the Arabs, recognized as such by them.

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One of Lawrence's greatest achievements as an integrated Arab strategist leader was the organization of brigand guerrillas nomads, who made surprise attacks, albeit with few resources, neutralizing and strangling the movements of armies rivals. The actions of T. AND. Lawrence became even more famous after being portrayed in the movie of Davidlean,Lawrencegivesarabia, released in 1962, with the performance of PeterO'Toole.

In this film it is possible to have a dimension of the life of T.E. Lawrence in all its nuances, from the English concerned with maps, history and culture in general, to the great military strategist who won the respect of Bedouin tribes and leaders Arabs. It is also possible to perceive the atmosphere of the First World War outside the European continent. The disproportionate battles between tribes who moved on horseback and fought with sabers and the Turkish war machine, with the use of machine guns and planes.

The life of T. AND. Lawrence is an excellent source of historical documents about the peculiarities of the First World War and the different peoples that were involved in it.
By Me. Cláudio Fernandes

Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:

FERNANDES, Claudio. "Lawrence of Arabia in World War I"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/guerras/lawrence-arabia-na-primeira-guerra-mundial.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.