2. ‘An unexpected stroke’

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Plates ix
4. Abbreviations xi
5. Author’s Note xiii
6. Maps xv
7. Introduction xxi
8. I: Basra
9. 1. Into Mesopotamia 3
10. 2. ‘An unexpected stroke’ 11
11. 3. Turks and Indians 23
12. 4. Basra 30
13. 5. ‘Conciliating the Arabs’ 41
14. 6. Qurna 61
15. 7. ‘Morally responsible to humanity and to civilization’ 72
16. 8. ‘One of the decisive battles of the world’ 83
17. 9. Townshend’s Regatta 95
18. 10. Up the Euphrates 109
19. 11. To Kut 120
20. II: KUT
21. 1. To Baghdad? 133
22. 2. To Salman Pak 144
23. 3. Ctesiphon 157
24. 4. Retreat 167
25. 5. Under Siege 180
26. 6. To the Rescue 192
27. 7. Marking Time 207
28. 8. Flood and Famine 213
29. 9. Dujaila: The Second Battle for Kut 224
30. 10. Failure 232
31. 11. Surrender 249
32. III: Baghdad
33. 1. Policy Paralysed: Egypt v India 259
34. 2. Administration and Punishment 272
35. 3. Retooling the Army 288
36. 4. Captivity 304
37. 5. Inquiry 324
38. 6. Maude’s Offensive: The Third Battle for Kut 337
39. 7. Baghdad at Last 360
40. 8. Maude’s Moment 369
41. IV: MOSUL
42. 1. Northern Exposure 387
43. 2. Maude’s End 397
44. 3. Strengthening the Hold 403
45. 4. Caucasian Fantasies 418
46. 5. Victory 432
47. 6. Self-Determination? 440
48. 7. Retrenchment 453
49. 8. Rebellion 463
50. 9. Kingdom Come 479
51. 10. Kurdistan for the Kurds? 493
52. 11. The World Decides 514
53. Afterword 519
54. Notes 528
55. Bibliography 555
56. Index 562