Siege of Medina

The Ottoman Empire joined the war on the side of the Central Powers under the leadership of the Ottoman Sultan, Mehmed V. In an attempt to weaken the Ottomans, the Allies provoked an Arab Revolt within the empire led by Sharif Hussein bin Ali of Mecca.


Sharif Hussein, supported by British and French agents, occupied Mecca and later besieged Medina. The second holiest city in Islam was then guarded by an Ottoman battalion led by Fahreddin Pasha, who resisted for two years and seven months. The persistent defense that lasted even after the war had ended, was much celebrated as a heroic struggle to preserve the Caliphate and Islamic unity.

The siege began in October 1916 when the Arabs led by Hussein's son Faisal were repulsed with heavy losses by the Ottomans, who were fortified and armed with artillery in contrast to the mobile irregular Arab force. This would prove detrimental as the Ottomans reinforced the city of thousands of soldiers with necessary supplies. The Ottomans tried to recapture coastal ports that were used to supply the Arabs, but were foiled by the Royal Navy.


At this point, Arab and Allied planners decided to lay siege to Medina instead of forcefully breaching it. The Ottomans were pinned down in the city whilst desperately protecting the Hejaz Railway, the only means of supply. By pinning the 12,000 Ottomans in Medina, it would leave other fronts much easier to win, such as in Palestine, Sinai, Mesopotamia, and Aqaba.


For this purpose, Nuri as-Said set about creating military training camps in Mecca under the direction of General 'Aziz 'Ali al-Misri. Using a mix of Bedouin volunteers, Arab officers and Arab Ottoman deserters who defected to the Arab Revolt, 'Aziz 'Ali created three infantry brigades, a mounted brigade, an engineering unit, and three different artillery groups made up of a patchwork of varying cannon and heavy caliber machine guns. Of his total force of 30,000, 'Aziz 'Ali proposed that it be divided into three armies:


These armies had elements of British and French officers attached to them who provided technical military advice. One of these officers was the infamous T. E. Lawrence. Over the course of 1917-1918, the Arabs numerously attempted to sabotage the Hejaz Railway. Ottoman garrisons of the isolated small train stations withstood the continuous night attacks and secured the tracks against increasing number of strikes (around 130 major attacks in 1917 and hundreds in 1918 including exploding more than 300 bombs on 30 April 1918).^[5] The Arabs aided the British wherever they can, their efforts paved the way for the British annexation of the Levant.


With the resignation of the Ottoman Empire from the war with the Armistice of Mudros between Ottoman Empire and Entente on 30 October 1918, it was expected that Fahreddin Pasha would also surrender. He refused and did not surrender even after the end of the war despite pleas from the Ottoman sultan. He held the city until 72 days after the end of the war.