John Bagot Glubb
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General Sir John Bagot Glubb KCB, CMG
, DSO
, OBE
, MC
better known as Glubb Pasha
(born 16 April 1897, Preston, Lancashire
– died 17 March 1986, Mayfield, Sussex
), was a British
soldier, scholar and author, best known for leading and training Transjordan
's Arab Legion
1939-1956 as its commanding general
. During the First World War, he served in France
.
, he was commissioned into the Royal Engineers
in 1915. He was seriously wounded on the Western front, his jaw being shattered. In later years this would lead to the Arab nickname of abu Hunaik, meaning "of the little jaw". He was then transferred to Iraq
in 1920, which was governed by Britain according to the League of Nations Mandate
. He became an officer of the Arab Legion
in 1930. The next year he formed the Desert Patrol — a force consisting exclusively of Bedouin
— to curb the raiding problem that plagued the southern part of the country. Within a few years he had persuaded the Bedouin to abandon their habit of raiding neighbouring tribes.
In 1939, Glubb succeeded Frederick G. Peake as the commander of the Arab Legion (Now known as Jordan Royal Army). During this period, he transformed the legion into the best trained force in the Arab world.
According to the Encyclopædia of the Orient:
During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War the Arab legion was considered the strongest Arab army involved in the war.
Glubb led the Arab Legion across Jordan to occupy the West Bank
. Despite some negotiation and understanding between the Jewish Agency and King Abdullah
, severe fighting took place in Kfar Etzion
, Jerusalem and Latrun. According to Avi Shlaim
,
Glubb remained in charge of the defence of the West Bank following the armistice in March 1949, and as the commander of the Arab Legion until 1 March 1956, when he was dismissed by King Hussein who wanted to distance himself from the British and disprove the contention of Arab nationalists that Glubb was the actual ruler of Jordan. Differences between Glubb and Hussein had been apparent since 1952, especially over defence arrangements, the promotion of Arab officers and the funding of the Arab Legion. Despite his decommission, which was forced upon him by public opinion, he remained a close friend of the king. He spent the remainder of his life writing books and articles, mostly on the Middle East
and his experiences with the Arabs.
in 1925; CMG
in 1946; and KCB in 1956.
(named after the Crusader king Godfrey of Bouillon
) born in Jerusalem in 1939, and adopted a Bedouin girl in 1944 and another daughter and son, his daughter from Palestinian refugees and son (named before atalla) from Jordanian bedouin in 1947.
Sir John died in 1986 at his home in Mayfield, East Sussex, and is buried in the graveyard at St. Dunstan's Church in the village. King Hussein gave the eulogy at the service of thanksgiving for Glubb's life, held in Westminster Abbey on 17th April 1986. Lady Glubb died in September 2005 and is interred with her husband. Their son, Godfrey, converted to Islam as a young man and took the name of Faris
, becoming a prominent journalist and researcher into the Palestinian cause. He was killed in an accident in Kuwait
in April 2004. Daughter Naomi died in July 2010.
Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2005. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2005.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
better known as Glubb Pasha
Pasha
Pasha or pascha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries. As an honorary title, Pasha, in one of its various ranks, is equivalent to the British title of Lord, and was also one of the highest titles in...
(born 16 April 1897, Preston, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
– died 17 March 1986, Mayfield, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
), was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soldier, scholar and author, best known for leading and training Transjordan
Transjordan
The Emirate of Transjordan was a former Ottoman territory in the Southern Levant that was part of the British Mandate of Palestine...
's Arab Legion
Arab Legion
The Arab Legion was the regular army of Transjordan and then Jordan in the early part of the 20th century.-Creation:...
1939-1956 as its commanding general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
. During the First World War, he served in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Life
Educated at Cheltenham CollegeCheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
, he was commissioned into the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
in 1915. He was seriously wounded on the Western front, his jaw being shattered. In later years this would lead to the Arab nickname of abu Hunaik, meaning "of the little jaw". He was then transferred to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in 1920, which was governed by Britain according to the League of Nations Mandate
League of Nations mandate
A League of Nations mandate was a legal status for certain territories transferred from the control of one country to another following World War I, or the legal instruments that contained the internationally agreed-upon terms for administering the territory on behalf of the League...
. He became an officer of the Arab Legion
Arab Legion
The Arab Legion was the regular army of Transjordan and then Jordan in the early part of the 20th century.-Creation:...
in 1930. The next year he formed the Desert Patrol — a force consisting exclusively of Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
— to curb the raiding problem that plagued the southern part of the country. Within a few years he had persuaded the Bedouin to abandon their habit of raiding neighbouring tribes.
In 1939, Glubb succeeded Frederick G. Peake as the commander of the Arab Legion (Now known as Jordan Royal Army). During this period, he transformed the legion into the best trained force in the Arab world.
According to the Encyclopædia of the Orient:
- Glubb served his home country all through his years in the Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, making him immensely unpopular in the end. Arab nationalists believed that he had been the force behind pressure that made King Hussein I of JordanHussein of JordanHussein bin Talal was the third King of Jordan from the abdication of his father, King Talal, in 1952, until his death. Hussein's rule extended through the Cold War and four decades of Arab-Israeli conflict...
join the Baghdad Pact. Glubb served different high positions in the Arab Legion, the army of Transjordan. During World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he led attacks on Arab leaders in IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, as well as the VichyVichy FranceVichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
regime which was present in LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. http://i-cias.com/cgi-bin/eo-direct.pl?glubb_j.htm
During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War the Arab legion was considered the strongest Arab army involved in the war.
Glubb led the Arab Legion across Jordan to occupy the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
. Despite some negotiation and understanding between the Jewish Agency and King Abdullah
Abdullah I of Jordan
Abdullah I bin al-Hussein, King of Jordan [‘Abd Allāh ibn al-Husayn] عبد الله الأول بن الحسين born in Mecca, Second Saudi State, was the second of three sons of Sherif Hussein bin Ali, Sharif and Emir of Mecca and his first wife Abdiyya bint Abdullah...
, severe fighting took place in Kfar Etzion
Kfar Etzion
Kfar Etzion is a religious Israeli settlement and kibbutz located in the Judean Hills between Jerusalem and Hebron in the southern West Bank. It has a population of 400 and falls under the jurisdiction of Gush Etzion Regional Council...
, Jerusalem and Latrun. According to Avi Shlaim
Avi Shlaim
Avi Shlaim FBA is a British/Israeli historian. He is a professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford and a fellow of the British Academy.Shlaim is especially well known as a historian of the Arab-Israeli conflict...
,
- Rumours that Abdullah was once again in contact with the Jewish leaders further damaged his standing in the Arab world. His many critics suggested that he was prepared to compromise the Arab claim to the whole of Palestine as long as he could acquire part of Palestine for himself. 'The internecine struggles of the Arabs,' reported Glubb, 'are more in the minds of Arab politicians than the struggle against the Jews. Azzam PashaAbdul Rahman Hassan AzzamAbdul Rahman Hassan Azzam was an Egyptian diplomat, with family origins in Egypt. He served as the first secretary-general of the Arab League between 1945 and 1952.Azzam also had a long career as an ambassador and parliamentarian...
, the mufti and the Syrian government would sooner see the Jews get the whole of Palestine than that King Abdullah should benefit.' (p. 96)
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and his experiences with the Arabs.
Honours
Glubb was appointed OBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1925; CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
in 1946; and KCB in 1956.
Family
In 1938, Glubb married Muriel Rosemary Forbes, the daughter of physician James Graham Forbes. The couple had a son, GodfreyFaris Glubb
Faris Glubb born was a British writer, journalist, translator and publisher.-Family and childhood conversion to Islam:...
(named after the Crusader king Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon was a medieval Frankish knight who was one of the leaders of the First Crusade from 1096 until his death. He was the Lord of Bouillon, from which he took his byname, from 1076 and the Duke of Lower Lorraine from 1087...
) born in Jerusalem in 1939, and adopted a Bedouin girl in 1944 and another daughter and son, his daughter from Palestinian refugees and son (named before atalla) from Jordanian bedouin in 1947.
Sir John died in 1986 at his home in Mayfield, East Sussex, and is buried in the graveyard at St. Dunstan's Church in the village. King Hussein gave the eulogy at the service of thanksgiving for Glubb's life, held in Westminster Abbey on 17th April 1986. Lady Glubb died in September 2005 and is interred with her husband. Their son, Godfrey, converted to Islam as a young man and took the name of Faris
Faris Glubb
Faris Glubb born was a British writer, journalist, translator and publisher.-Family and childhood conversion to Islam:...
, becoming a prominent journalist and researcher into the Palestinian cause. He was killed in an accident in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
in April 2004. Daughter Naomi died in July 2010.
Writings
The source for the following bibliography isContemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2005. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2005.
- (With Henry Field) The Yezidis, Sulubba, and Other Tribes of Iraq and Adjacent Regions, G. Banta, 1943.
- The Story of the Arab Legion, Hodder & Stoughton, 1948, Da Capo Press, 1976.
- A Soldier with the Arabs, Harper, 1957.
- Britain and the Arabs: A Study of Fifty Years, 1908 to 1958, Hodder & Stoughton, 1959.
- War in the Desert: An R.A.F. Frontier Campaign, Hodder & Stoughton, 1960, Norton, 1961.
- The Great Arab Conquests, Hodder & Stoughton, 1963, Prentice-Hall, 1964.
- The Empire of the Arabs, Hodder & Stoughton, 1963, Prentice-Hall, 1964.
- The Course of Empire: The Arabs and Their Successors, Hodder & Stoughton, 1965, Prentice-Hall, 1966.
- The Lost Centuries: From the Muslim Empires to the Renaissance of Europe, 1145-1453, Hodder & Stoughton, 1966, Prentice-Hall, 1967.
- Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, Walker & Co., 1967.
- The Middle East Crisis: A Personal Interpretation, Hodder & Stoughton, 1967.
- A Short History of the Arab Peoples, Stein & Day, 1969.
- The Life and Times of Muhammad, Stein & Day, 1970.
- Peace in the Holy Land: An Historical Analysis of the Palestine Problem, Hodder & Stoughton, 1971.
- Soldiers of Fortune: The Story of the Mamlukes, Stein & Day, 1973.
- Haroon Al Rasheed and the Great Abbasids, Hodder & Stoughton, 1976.
- Into Battle: A Soldier's Diary of the Great War, Cassell, 1977.
- The Fate of Empires and Search for Survival, Blackwood (Edinburgh), 1978.
- Arabian Adventures: Ten Years of Joyful Service, Cassell (London), 1978.
- The Changing Scenes of Life: An Autobiography, Quartet Books (London), 1983.
External links
- 1956 - King of Jordan sacks British general (BBC article and video)
- Royal Engineers Museum Royal Engineers biographies (Sir John Bagot Glubb)
- Review: The Road to Jerusalem by Benny Morris, The Guardian
