Language:
Hebrew
Year of publication:
2021
Titel der Quelle:
קתדרה
Angaben zur Quelle:
179 (תשפב) 87-112
Keywords:
Great Britain. Drill and tactics
;
World War, 1914-1918 Campaigns
;
Eretz Israel History, Military 1917-1948, British Mandate period
;
Nazareth (Israel) History, Military 20th century
Abstract:
Among the initial moves of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (the name of the Imperial British army in Palestine) under General Edmund Allenby, in theopening phase of the Megiddo Campaign in September1918 – the last campaign in northern Palestine duringthe First World War – was a deep-penetration cavalryraid on the German-Ottoman General Headquarters inNazareth. Its aim was to capture General von Limanvon Sanders, commander-in-chief of the enemy inPalestine, and to incapacitate his staff, in order toparalyze its command and control system and ruin itsability to affect the campaign. The raid, carried out by acavalry brigade, partially destroyed the headquarters,but was compelled to withdraw without accomplishingits main task – taking von Sanders prisoner. Hitherto,historiography has put the blame for this failure onthe shoulders of the brigade commander on the onehand, and on unfortunate circumstances on the otherhand. This article, based on archival documentation,a reexamination of the sources and an explorationof the terrain, concludes that the existing narrativeechoes the desire of senior commanders to avoidresponsibility. The failure derived, first and foremost,from the conduct of all higher echelons above brigadelevel, and from a reliance on what was essentiallydefective intelligence.
Note:
With an English abstract.
URL:
אתר את הפרסום בקטלוג המאוחד של ספריות ישראל
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