Occupied Enemy Territory Administration

History

Initiation

On 23 October 1918, following the British and Arab forces' defeat of the Ottoman Empire, Field Marshal Edmund Allenby announced that Ottoman Syria was to be split into three administrative sub-units, which varied very little from the previous Ottoman divisions:

• OETA South, consisting of the Ottoman Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem and the sanjaks of Nablus and Acre. This was the first administrative definition of what was to become Mandatory Palestine;
• OETA West (originally OETA North, renamed two months later) consisting of the Ottoman Beirut Vilayet, the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate, the Sanjak of Latakia, and a number of sub-districts; and
• OETA East consisting of the Ottoman Damascus Vilayet and the southern part of the Aleppo Vilayet. The governors of Aleppo were later to sponsor the Occupation of Zor. The area of Ma'an and Aqaba was administered by OETA East and claimed by the Hejaz.

In December 1918, following the occupation of the region of Cilicia, a new territory was set up.

• OETA North, consisting of the Adana Vilayet

Later events

Under this administration the immediate needs of the people were provided for, seed grain and live-stock were imported and distributed, finance on easy terms was made available through the Army bankers, a stable currency was set up and postal services restored. Allenby insisted that as long as military administration was required, it was to remain his responsibility.

Military administrators

OETA South chief administrators

The area was divided into four districts: Jerusalem, Jaffa, Majdal and Beersheba, each under a military governor. Both of the first two British administrators, Generals Money and Watson, were removed by London for not favouring the Zionists over the Arabs; when the OETA administration ended, Liberal party politician (and former British Home Secretary) Herbert Samuel was installed as the first civilian administrator. Samuel recorded his acceptance of the role, and the end of military administration, in an often-quoted document: "Received from Major-General Sir Louis J. Bols K.C.B.—One Palestine, complete."

OETA East administrators

OETA East was a joint Arab-British military administration. The Arab and British armies entered Damascus on 1 October 1918, and on 3 October 1918 Ali Rida al-Rikabi was appointed Military Governor of OETA East. Prince Faisal son of King Hussain of Mecca entered Damascus as on 4 October and appointed Rikabi Chief of the Council of Directors (i.e. prime minister) of Syria.

The boundary definition of OETA East left uncertainties to the south and east, leading to competing claims from the Kingdom of Hejaz and Occupied Iraq respectively – see Occupation of Ma'an and Occupation of Zor for further details.

• Rida al-Rikabi (3 October 1918 – 26 November 1919)

OETA North (West) administrators

• Marie Antoine Philpin de Piépape (7 October 1918 – 19 November 1918)
• Jules Camille Hamelin (19 November 1918 – 21 November 1919)
• François Georges Barb (21 November 1919 – 1 September 1920)

OETA North (Cilicia) administrators

• Édouard Brémond

Initiation and administration

The OETA was established on 23 October 1918, under the accepted rules of military occupation, and defined as follows:

1. The enemy territory occupied by the allied troops of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force will be divided, for purposes of provisional military administration, into three areas, each in charge of a "Chief Administrator" directly responsible in all cases to the Commander-in-Chief.

The three areas and their Chief Administrators are : - :(a) "Occupied Enemy Territory (South)". - Chief Administrator, -~ General Sir A. W. Money, K.C.B., C.S.I., (British). Comprises the Sanjaks of Jerusalem, Nablus, and Acre. :(b) "Occupied Enemy Territory (North)". - Chief Administrator, - Colonel M.A.F.J. de Piepape, (French). Comprises the Sanjaks of Beirut, Lebanon, Ladikiya and the town of Beirut; the Kazas of Hasbiya, Rashiya, Jisr es Shaghur, Bay of Antioch, Yeniji Kali, Im Beidan, and Alexandretta. :(c) "Occupied Enemy Territory (East)". - Chief Administrator, - Ali Riza El Rikabi (Arab). Comprises all districts East of (a) and (b) above, up to the northern limits of the Kazas of Jebel Seman and El Bab.

2. The system of administration will be in accordance with the Laws and Usages of War as laid down in Ch. XIV, S.8, Manual of Military Law. Departures from these principles will not be permitted except with the approval of the Commander-in-Chief. As far as possible the Turkish system of government will be continued, and the existing machinery of government will be utilized.

3. The Administration will be required to provide for all necessary government services, and the extent to which these services can be developed, during the state of war, is left to the discretion of the Chief Administrator concerned.

4. As far as possible it is desired to retain Turkish administrative areas, and in this way to utilise existing Turkish records.

5. The Administration of the Ottoman Public Debt will be permitted to continue its functions, subject to the general control of the Chief Administrator.

6. The Régie Tobacco Monopoly will likewise continue its functions under similar conditions.

7. Chief Administrators will communicate with the Commander-in-Chief through the Deputy-Adjutant General, G.H.Q., to whom all reports will be addressed.

8. Chief Administrators will submit reports on the general situation in their areas, by 15th of each month.

9. In view of the fact that the administration is military, provisional, and without prejudice to future settlement, Chief Administrators will not undertake, except in so far as is necessary for the maintenance of security and public order, any political propaganda, and will not take part in any political controversies.

Disestablishment

The OETA administrations were disestablished at different times in each of the regions, following the formal appointment of civil administrations (prior to the formal coming into force of the mandates):

• OETA South: 1 July 1920, Herbert Samuel was appointed as High Commissioner for Palestine
• OETA West: 31 August 1920, Henri Gouraud proclaimed the State of Greater Lebanon, the Alawite State and the Sanjak of Alexandretta was merged into the State of Aleppo
• OETA East: 26 November 1919, when the British withdrew in favor of the Emirate of Syria.

References

Bibliography

References

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