Occupied Enemy Territory Administration Explained

Native Name:Administration du territoire ennemi occupé (French)
إدارة أراضي العدو المحتلة (Arabic)Iidarat 'aradi al-eadui al-muhtala
Conventional Long Name:Occupied Enemy Territory Administration
Common Name:OETA
Status:Occupied territory
Empire:British Empire and French Third Republic
Life Span:1917–1920
Year Start:23 October 1917
Year End:1920
Event2:San Remo conference
Date Event2:19 to 26 April 1920
P1:Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate
Flag P1:Flag of the Ottoman Empire.svg
P2:Damascus Vilayet
Flag P2:Flag of the Ottoman Empire.svg
P3:Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem
Flag P3:Flag of the Ottoman Empire.svg
P4:Beirut Vilayet
Flag P4:Flag of the Ottoman Empire.svg
P5:Aleppo Vilayet
Flag P5:Flag of the Ottoman Empire.svg
P6:Adana Vilayet
Flag P6:Flag of the Ottoman Empire.svg
S1:Arab Kingdom of Syria
Flag S1:Flag of Kingdom of Syria (1920-03-08 to 1920-07-24).svg
S2:Mandate for Palestine
Flag S2:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
S3:Greater Lebanon
Flag S3:Lebanese French flag.svg
S4:Alawite State
Flag S4:Latakiya-sanjak-Alawite-state-French-colonial-flag.svg
S5:Turkey
Flag S5:Flag of Turkey.svg
Flag Type:Flags of France and the United Kingdom, as well as the flag of the Arab administration in OETA-East
Image Map Caption:Area of the OETA, according to the British Government's History of the Great War Based on Official Documents
Common Languages:Arabic, Hebrew, Ottoman Turkish, English, French
Title Leader:Administrators

The Occupied Enemy Territory Administration (OETA) was a joint British, French and Arab military administration over Levantine provinceswhich had been part of the Ottoman Empire for four centuriesbetween 1917 and 1920, set up on 23 October 1917 following the Sinai and Palestine Campaign and Arab Revolt of World War I. Although it was declared by the British military, who were in control of the region, it was followed on 30 September 1918 by the 1918 Anglo-French Modus Vivendi in which it was agreed that the British would give the French control in certain areas, and the Hashemites were given joint control of the Eastern area per T. E. Lawrence's November 1918 "Sharifian plan".

Following the occupation of the Adana Vilayet (the region of Cilicia) in December 1918, a new territory, OETA North, was set up. The administration ended in OETA West and OETA South in 1920 following the assignment of the Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon and British Mandate for Palestine at the 19–26 April 1920 San Remo conference.

In OETA East, British administration ended following the withdrawal of British forces from the territory in November 1919, and the subsequent declaration of the Arab Kingdom of Syria over the same area. The area was split into two after the French defeated King Faisal in July 1920; the northern part of the territory was combined with the French-administered OETA West, and the southern part became a no man's land and later became the Emirate of Transjordan.

Due to the success of the Turkish War of Independence, Marash, Aintab and Urfa sanjaks of former Aleppo Vilayet remained in Turkey after 1921. Also, Antakya and İskenderun kazas of Aleppo Sanjak in one were separated as the Republic of Hatay in 1938; the republic then instead became a part of Turkey in 1939.

History

Initiation

On 23 October 1918, following the British and Arab forces' defeat of the Ottoman empire, Field Marshal Edmund Allenby announced that Ottoman Syria was to be split into three administrative sub-units, which varied very little from the previous Ottoman divisions:[1] [2]

In December 1918, following the occupation of the region of Cilicia, a new territory was set up.

Later events

King–Crane Commission OETA population estimates
SouthWestEastTotals
Muslim515,000600,0001,250,0002,365,000
Christian62,500400,000125,000587,500
Druze60,00080,000140,000
Jewish65,00015,00030,000110,000
Other5,00020,00020,00045,000
Totals647,5001,095,0001,505,0003,247,500
Under this administration the immediate needs of the people were provided for, seed grain and live-stock were imported and distributed, finance on easy terms was made available through the Army bankers, a stable currency was set up and postal services restored.[4] Allenby insisted that as long as military administration was required, it was to remain his responsibility.[5]

Military administrators

OETA South chief administrators

The area was divided into four districts: Jerusalem, Jaffa, Majdal and Beersheba, each under a military governor. Both of the first two British administrators, Generals Money and Watson, were removed by London for not favouring the Zionists over the Arabs;[6] when the OETA administration ended, Liberal party politician (and former British Home Secretary) Herbert Samuel was installed as the first civilian administrator.[6] Samuel recorded his acceptance of the role, and the end of military administration, in an often-quoted document: "Received from Major-General Sir Louis J. Bols K.C.B.—One Palestine, complete."[7]

OETA East administrators

OETA East was a joint Arab-British military administration. The Arab and British armies entered Damascus on 1 October 1918, and on 3 October 1918 Ali Rida al-Rikabi was appointed Military Governor of OETA East.[8] [9] Prince Faisal son of King Hussain of Mecca entered Damascus as on 4 October and appointed Rikabi Chief of the Council of Directors (i.e. prime minister) of Syria.

The boundary definition of OETA East left uncertainties to the south and east, leading to competing claims from the Kingdom of Hejaz and Occupied Iraq respectively – see Occupation of Ma'an and Occupation of Zor for further details.

OETA North (West) administrators

OETA North (Cilicia) administrators

PortraitName
Term of office
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1Major general
Arthur Wigram Money
June 1918June 1919
2Major general
Harry Davis Watson
June 1919December 1919
3Lieutenant general
Louis Bols
January 1920July 1920

Initiation and administration

The OETA was established on 23 October 1918, under the accepted rules of military occupation, and defined as follows:

Disestablishment

The OETA administrations were disestablished at different times in each of the regions, following the formal appointment of civil administrations (prior to the formal coming into force of the mandates):

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Book: Karsh, Efraim. Israel: Israel's transition from community to state. 6 March 2000. Psychology Press. 9780714649634 . Google Books.
  2. Book: Roberto Mazza. Jerusalem: From the Ottomans to the British. 30 September 2009. I.B.Tauris. 978-0-85771-393-3. 148.
  3. Biger, 2005, p.53: "This initial division along the lines of the Ottoman administrative division for the purposes of military government, was in fact the first definition of an area that would later be determined as 'Palestine'"
  4. Book: Keogh, E. G. . Suez to Aleppo . Eustace Graham Keogh. Joan Graham. 1955 . Directorate of Military Training by Wilkie & Co . Melbourne. 220029983. pp. 202–203
  5. Book: Matthew . Hughes . Allenby in Palestine: The Middle East Correspondence of Field Marshal Viscount Allenby June 1917 – October 1919 . Army Records Society. 22 . 2004 . Sutton Publishing Ltd . Phoenix Mill, Thrupp, Stroud, Gloucestershire. 978-0-7509-3841-9. Allenby to Robertson 25 January 1918 in Hughes 2004, p. 128
  6. Book: Fieldhouse, D. K. . Western Imperialism in the Middle East 1914-1958. 6 April 2006. OUP Oxford. 978-0-19-153696-0. 198.
  7. Owen. C. V.. 2004. 31947 . Bols, Sir Louis Jean (1867–1930).
  8. Book: Watson, William E. . Tricolor and Crescent: France and the Islamic World. 2003. Greenwood Publishing Group. 978-0-275-97470-1. 53–.
  9. Book: Tauber, Eliezer . The Arab Movements in World War I. 5 March 2014. Routledge. 978-1-135-19978-4. 240.
  10. Book: Tauber, Eliezer. The Formation of Modern Iraq and Syria. 13 September 2013. Routledge. 978-1-135-20118-0. 30.