Arab Revolt

The Arab Revolt, from 1916 to 1918, was an uprising by Sharif Hussein ibn Ali of Mecca against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. With assurances of British support, Hussein revolted in June 1916, capturing Mecca but failing to take Medina. His sons, Faisal and Abdullah, aided by British supplies and T.E. Lawrence, advanced north into Damascus.1

It is important to distinguish this from the 1936–39 Arab Revolt in Palestine, which was a Palestinian Arab uprising against British rule and Zionist immigration. This later revolt was driven by opposition to British policies, escalating Arab-Jewish violence, and demands for an end to Jewish immigration and land sales, and for Palestinian independence. The 1936-39 revolt resulted in significant casualties, refugees, and a divided Arab leadership, while strengthening the Zionist movement's self-reliance and militias.23