In warfare, it is often found that when two armies are pitted against one another, the force with the superior numbers will eventually carry the day. While this is most often the case, it is not always a foregone conclusion that numbers alone can or will guarantee a victory. There are certain factors that one must consider if they want to get as accurate a reading on the outcome of a battle as possible. One of the factors that must be considered in the context of a battle or even more so over a long period of fighting is the nature of the enemy that you are fighting. Numbers may help procure a victory if the enemy is willing to stand and be slaughtered, but what if they are not? What if the enemy refuses to fight unless it is when and where they deem it tactically advantageous? Moreover, what if the enemy refuses to fight outright at all, and instead favors materializing out of thin air, taking or destroying a target, then vanishing without a trace? The Arabians, under T.E. Lawrence, favored this latter tactic and it worked well for them. Utilizing guerilla warfare, Lawrence was able to defeat the Ottomans during WW1. While this helped secure Allied control of the Middle East, Lawrence unwittingly helped create a serious problem as the Europeans …show more content…
At its height, the empire reached well into Northern Africa and Eastern Europe as well as having a firm grip on the Middle East. As the Empire was so large, there were many different ethnicities, religions and nationalities living within the borders including but not limited to Christians, Jews, Muslims, Greeks, Kurds, Slavs, and Arabs. To help maintain stability, the Empire took a page from the Roman handbook and allowed their subjects to live as they wished for the most part. This, of course, was so long as those being governed knew who was ultimately in charge. This system of governance worked well until the beginning of the 20th