Egypt Under Colonial Rule During WWI, by Katie Caldwell

As World War I progressed, New Zealand, Australian, and British troops began to enter and inhabit Cairo. Arabs demanded national liberation and rebelled against the Turks. According to the article “British Occupation Period” from Tour Egypt, “European Cairo was a madhouse because of the British and their self-indulgences.” Egypt began to change immensely because of the troops (“British Occupation Period”).
British Flag
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/gb-hist.html


Australian Flag
http://www.anbg.gov.au/oz/flag.html






New Zealand Flag
http://www.mch.govt.nz/nz-identity-heritage/flags

In Cairo, prices on goods increased rapidly while British soldiers indulged in all of Cairo’s goods. Not only did Cairo suffer greatly from the troops’ presence, but the people surrounding the city did as well; they endured many hardships such as undernourishment, poverty, and destitution. Interestingly, in 1918, there were more deaths than births from living this horrific lifestyle (“British Occupation Period”).

Although Cairo suffered many negative changes, not all changes hindered its economic financial situation. In 1914, the Australian troops spent an astronomical amount of money in the city every day. The troops began to progressively lose enthusiasm in patrolling Cairo. The troops were too busy entertaining themselves that they began to lose focus on the real reason of why they are there in the first place. The citizens of Cairo had noticed this transformation and ultimately demanded a more self-governing country (“British Occupation Period”).

Martial law was initiated in Cairo in 1916. Citizens were penalized by military courts. England now treated Egypt like an adversary. Because of this dispute, British troops promoted kidnapping peasants in 1917 so they could work in their Palestinian labor groups. Many were sent to Mesopotamia, France, and Syria (“British Occupation Period”).

Mesopotamia France
http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/m/mesopotamian.html http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3842.htm


Syria
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3580.htm






Work Cited
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Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs: Background Note: France. 2011. Map. U.S.
Department of State: Diplomacy in Action. Web. 14 Nov 2011.
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Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs: Background Note: Syria. 2011. Map. U.S.
Department of State: Diplomacy in Action. Web. 14 Nov 2011.
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Croft, Jim. The Australian Flag. N.d. Flag. Australian Government: Department of the
Environment and Water Resources, Australia .Web. 14 Nov 2011.
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Delahunt, Michael. Mesopotamian Art. 2010. Map. Artlex.com. Web. 14 Nov 2011.
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Flags. 2010. Flag. Manatū Taonga: Ministry for Culture & Heritage, New Zealand .Web. 14
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