Battle of Arara
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Arara took place on September 19, 1918 between the forces of the Ottoman Empire
and the French Armenian Legion
(La Légion Arménienne) during the military operations of the Battle of Megiddo
. The Armenians' role during this battle was so prominent that their efforts were recognized by the top commanders of the Allied Force.
expeditionary forces in the Middle East, which contained an Armenian contingent commanded by a French colonel and French officers, as well as Armenia
n officers. Many of the Armenians were survivors from Musa Dagh
, where Armenians had resisted against Turkish massacres during the Armenian Genocide
. The legion had landed at Jaffa
in the middle of September and was prepared to take part in the final British offensive to evict the Ottomans from Palestine.
commended Armenian forces in his official dispatch to the Allied High Command, "On the right flank, on the coastal hills, the units of the Armenian Legion d'Orient fought with great valour. Despite the difficulty of the terrain and the strength of the enemy defensive lines, at an early hour, they took the hill of Dir el Kassis." Allenby remarked, ""I am proud to have had an Armenian contingent under my command. They have fought very brilliantly and have played a great part in the victory."
A monument for the Armenian troops killed during the battle was moved from its original location on the battlefield to Mount Zion
in October 1925.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and the French Armenian Legion
French Armenian Legion
The Armenian Legion, established with the French-Armenian Agreement , was a foreign legion unit within French Army. The Armenian legion was established under the goals of the Armenian national liberation movement and was an armed unit besides the Armenian volunteer units and Armenian militia during...
(La Légion Arménienne) during the military operations of the Battle of Megiddo
Battle of Megiddo (1918)
The Battle of Megiddo took place between 19 September and 1 October 1918, in what was then the northern part of Ottoman Palestine and parts of present-day Syria and Jordan...
. The Armenians' role during this battle was so prominent that their efforts were recognized by the top commanders of the Allied Force.
Background
In September 1918, on the Palestinian front, the Ottoman army was crumbling before the BritishUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
expeditionary forces in the Middle East, which contained an Armenian contingent commanded by a French colonel and French officers, as well as Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n officers. Many of the Armenians were survivors from Musa Dagh
Musa Dagh
Musa Dagh was the site of resistance by the Armenians during the Armenian Genocide. The denizens of that region were violently expelled from their six villages by the Ottomans in 1915...
, where Armenians had resisted against Turkish massacres during the Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
. The legion had landed at Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
in the middle of September and was prepared to take part in the final British offensive to evict the Ottomans from Palestine.
Commendation
General Edmund AllenbyEdmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby
Field Marshal Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby GCB, GCMG, GCVO was a British soldier and administrator most famous for his role during the First World War, in which he led the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in the conquest of Palestine and Syria in 1917 and 1918.Allenby, nicknamed...
commended Armenian forces in his official dispatch to the Allied High Command, "On the right flank, on the coastal hills, the units of the Armenian Legion d'Orient fought with great valour. Despite the difficulty of the terrain and the strength of the enemy defensive lines, at an early hour, they took the hill of Dir el Kassis." Allenby remarked, ""I am proud to have had an Armenian contingent under my command. They have fought very brilliantly and have played a great part in the victory."
A monument for the Armenian troops killed during the battle was moved from its original location on the battlefield to Mount Zion
Mount Zion
Mount Zion is a place name for a site in Jerusalem, the location of which has shifted several times in history. According to the Hebrew Bible's Book of Samuel, it was the site of the Jebusite fortress called the "stronghold of Zion" that was conquered by King David, becoming his palace in the City...
in October 1925.