ABSTRACT
The Great War of 1914–1918 has had a very direct bearing on Islam. The first outbreak of war found the Muslim countries a little bewildered, the issues involved were so essentially western that the Oriental world failed to find a clue, whilst the Indian army responded readily and without realizing that any problem lay before it. Thus Turkey felt impelled to Support the side opposed to Russia, and had already pledged herself to do so in the event of war. The war came to an end in 1918, and very soon afterwards French troops began to occupy Syria. On the Bolshevik side the main strength seems to have been the Magyar and Austrian ex-prisoners of war, whilst efforts were made to rouse the fighting tribes of Turkistan and North Persia. In the Great War the Amir Habibullah continued his steady friendship for the British in spite of the activity of German agents who found inflammable material in the anti-British opposition.
