A History of the British Cavalry, 1816-1919, Volume 6: 1914-1918, Mesopotamia

A History of the British Cavalry #6

by Henry Paget

The 1914-1918 war was the first truly world war. This is often overlooked , for the vast and devastating operations on the Western and Eastern fronts dominate the collective memory of that terrible conflict. Yet by the standard of previous military struggles, the two chief 'side shows', the Palestine and Mesopotamian campaigns against the Turks was on an unprecedented scale. Of the two the Palestine campaign is the better known, largely because of Allenby's spectacular successes employing his mounted troops. These have been dealt with in Volume 5 of this work.

What has been largely neglected by historians is the part played by the cavalry in Mesopotamia — the present Iraq. The campaign is chiefly remembered for the siege and fall of Kut and their horrific consequences. Yet there was a small, if disastrous, episode in an extraordinary struggle in which mounted troops played a significant role — one that is almost entirely dismissed in all accounts except that of the Official History. This volume of Lord Anglesey's magisterial history is chiefly concerned to put the record straight in this respect.

At the same time he sets the campaign in the perspective of the world-wide conflict, especially regarding the crucial part played in it by the Indian authorities, Further, a number of hitherto unpublished accounts by officers and men complement those gleaned from a wide range of printed sources, including some obscure but revealing regimental histories, particularly of those units which came from the Indian Army.

The highly important and interesting part played by the cavalry on the Western Front will be considered in volumes 7 and 8.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1995

About the author

George Charles Henry Victor Paget, 7th Marquess of Anglesey Bt, DL, FSA, FRHistS, FRSL, was an author of books on the history of the British army

Reviews

[Frank Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exceptional series of books by Anglesey. This one was particularly interesting -- Iraq in World War I. So many lost. They should never be forgotten.