Siege of Kut
Part of the Mesopotamian_Campaign
Situation at Kut on September 28, 1915
Date: 7 December 1915 – 29 April 1916 Location: Kut-al-Amara, Mesopotamia, present-day Iraq Result: Decisive Ottoman Victory
Combatants
Britain, British India	Ottoman Empire
Commanders
General Townshend	Baron von der Goltz†, Khalil Pasha
Strength
30,000	50,000
Casualties
23,000	10,000

The Siege of Kut-al-Amara (December 7, 1915 – April 29, 1916) was part of the Mesopotamian Campaign in World War I. The British Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force (MEF) suffered a very serious defeat against the Ottoman forces. The Mesopotamian Campaign was a theater of the First World War fought between Allied forces represented by British and Anglo-Indian troops, and Central forces of the Ottoman Empire. ... Image File history File links Kut1915. ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Kūt (كوت; also known as Kut-Al-Imara and Kut El Amara) is a city in eastern Iraq, on the left bank of the Tigris River, about 100 miles south east of Baghdad, at 32. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Imperial motto (Ottoman Turkish) دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power (1683) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital Söğüt (1299-1326), Bursa (1326-1365), Edirne (1365-1453), Ä°stanbul (1453-1922) Imperial anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Sovereigns Padishah of the Osmanl... Motto: Satyameva Jayate (Sanskrit) DevanāgarÄ«: सत्यमेव जयते (IPA: []) (Truth Alone Triumphs) Anthem: Jana Gana Mana Capital New Delhi Largest city Mumbai (Bombay) Official language(s) Hindi, English, and 21 other languages Government Federal republic President Prime Minister APJ Abdul Kalam Manmohan Singh Independence  - Commonwealth  - Republic From the United Kingdom 1947-08... Imperial motto (Ottoman Turkish) دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power (1683) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital Söğüt (1299-1326), Bursa (1326-1365), Edirne (1365-1453), Ä°stanbul (1453-1922) Imperial anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Sovereigns Padishah of the Osmanl... Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend (1861 - 1924) Major General, KCB General of the British army he lead the ultimately disasterous first British Expedition against Baghdad during World War I. Born into a family with strong ties to the British army, he was related to Field Marshal George Townshend (about whom Charles... Warning: this article is based primarily on information from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica and does not reflect modern scholarship. ... Khalil Pasha (Turkish: Halil PaÅŸa)(1864 - 1923) was a Ottoman regional governor and military commander. ... The Mesopotamian Campaign was a theater of the First World War fought between Allied forces represented by British and Anglo-Indian troops, and Central forces of the Ottoman Empire. ... The Fao Landing occurred on November 6, 1914 with British forces attacking the Ottoman fortress of Fao. ... The battle of Basra was a battle of World War 1, that took place in the city of Basra (which is now in modern day Iraq), on December 10, 1914. ... Combatants British Empire, British India Ottoman Empire Commanders General Townshend Baron von der Goltz Strength 11,000 troops, two warships around 30,000 Casualties 4,500 9,600 British Expeditionary Force D, mostly made up of Indians and under the command of Gen. ... The Battle of Dujaila was fought on March 8, 1916, between British and Ottoman forces. ... The Second Battle of Kut was fought on February 23, 1917, between British and Ottoman forces. ... Combatants The Tigris Corps of British India Sixth Army of the Ottoman Empire Commanders Sir Frederick Stanley Maude Khalil Pasha Strength 50,000 men 25,000 men Casualties unknown unknown, more than 9,000 were taken prisoner Baghdad was the southern capital of the Ottoman Empire in 1917. ... Combatants British Empire Ottoman Empire Commanders Frederick Stanley Maude Khalil Pasha Ali Ishan Bey Strength 45,000 10,000 (Khalil) 15,000 (Ali Ishan) Casualties 18,000 (+ 40,000 sick) ? The Samarrah Offensive was launched by the British against the Ottomans in mid-March 1917 as part of the Mesopotamian... Combatants British Empire Ottoman Empire Commanders Frederick Stanley Maude ? Strength One division 5,000 Casualties ? ? The Battle of Ramadi was fought in central Iraq late in September 1917 between the British and the Ottomans; it was part of the Mesopotamian Campaign in World War One. ... Combatants British Empire Ottoman Empire Commanders Sir William Raine Marshall Sir Alexander Cobbe Ismail Hakki Bey Strength ? Ottoman 6th Army Casualties 1,800 18,000 POW The Battle of Sharqat was the final action between the British and the Ottomans during the Mesopotamian Campaign in World War One. ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Mesopotamian Campaign was a theater of the First World War fought between Allied forces represented by British and Anglo-Indian troops, and Central forces of the Ottoman Empire. ... Combatants Allies: Serbia, Russia, France, Romania, Belgium, British Empire, United States, Italy, and others Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total of dead: 8 million Military dead: 4 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total dead: 7 million Spanish Flu... Imperial motto (Ottoman Turkish) دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power (1683) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital Söğüt (1299-1326), Bursa (1326-1365), Edirne (1365-1453), Ä°stanbul (1453-1922) Imperial anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Sovereigns Padishah of the Osmanl...

Kut-al-Amara is a town on the Tigris, where it meets the ancient Shatt al-Hai canal. It is 350 km upstream from Basra and around 170 km from Baghdad. In 1915 its population was around 6,500. Kūt (كوت; also known as Kut-Al-Imara and Kut El Amara) is a city in eastern Iraq, on the left bank of the Tigris River, about 100 miles south east of Baghdad, at 32. ... The Tigris River (Arabic: دجلة Dijla, Hebrew: חדקל ḥiddeqel, Kurdish: Dîjle, Pahlavi: Tigr, Old Persian: Tigrā-, Syriac: ܕܩܠܬ Deqlath, Turkish: Dicle, Akkadian: Idiqlat) is the eastern member of the pair of great rivers that define Mesopotamia, along with the Euphrates, which flows from the mountains of Anatolia through Iraq (the name Mesopotamia... Location of Basra Basra (also spelled BaÅŸrah or Basara; historically sometimes written Busra, Busrah, and the early form Bassorah; Arabic: , Al-Basrah) is the second largest city of Iraq with an estimated population of c. ... Location of Baghdad within Iraq Baghdad (Arabic: ‎ translit: , Kurdish: Bexda, from Persian Baagh-daad or Bag-Da-Du meaning “Garden of God” [1]) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ...

The 6th (Poona) Division of the British Indian Army, under Major-General Charles Townshend, had fallen back to the town of Kut after retreating from Ctesiphon. The British forces arrived at Kut around December 3, 1915. The British had suffered significant losses and were down to around 11,000 soldiers (plus cavalry). General Townshend chose to stay and hold the position at Kut instead of continuing the march downriver towards Basra. Kut offered a good defensive position, it was contained within a long loop of the river. The problem was how to get supplies. Kut was a long way from Basra. In retrospect, Townshend's decision to stay at Kut was a disastrous one. The Indian Army in the time of the British Raj (1857–1947) // Administrative Name The Indian Army is the name for the Indian Armed forces of that country; the meaning of that name changed over time: History The Indian Army was formed after the Indian Mutiny in 1857 by the... Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend (1861 - 1924) Major General, KCB General of the British army he lead the ultimately disasterous first British Expedition against Baghdad during World War I. Born into a family with strong ties to the British army, he was related to Field Marshal George Townshend (about whom Charles... British Expeditionary Force D, mostly made up of Indians and under the command of Gen. ... December 3 is the 337th (in leap years the 338th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Location of Basra Basra (also spelled Başrah or Basara; historically sometimes written Busra, Busrah, and the early form Bassorah; Arabic: , Al-Basrah) is the second largest city of Iraq with an estimated population of c. ...

The pursuing Ottoman forces arrived on December 7, 1915. Once it became clear the Turks had enough forces to lay siege to Kut, Townshend ordered his cavalry to escape south, which it did. The Ottoman forces numbered around 11,000 men and were commanded by the respected but old German General and military historian Baron von der Goltz. Goltz knew the Turkish army well as he had spent 12 years working on modernizing the Ottoman army from 1883 to 1895. After three attacks in December, Goltz directed the building of siege fortifications facing Kut. He also, like Caesar at Alisia, prepared for British rescue forces coming up the river from Basra by building defensive positions further down the Tigris river. December 7 is the 341st day (342nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Warning: this article is based primarily on information from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica and does not reflect modern scholarship. ... Gaius Julius Caesar (IPA: ; in inscriptions after his death: IMP•C•IVLIVS•CAESAR•DIVVS[1]), July 12, 100 BC – March 15, 44 BC) was a Roman military and political leader. ... Combatants Roman Republic Gallic Tribes Commanders Julius Caesar Vercingetorix Commius Strength ~55,000 ~80,000 besieged ~80,000-200,000 relief forces Casualties 7,800 200,000 The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia was a conflict fought in September 52 BC around the Gallic oppidum of Alesia, a... The Tigris River (Arabic: دجلة Dijla, Hebrew: חדקל ḥiddeqel, Kurdish: Dîjle, Pahlavi: Tigr, Old Persian: Tigrā-, Syriac: ܕܩܠܬ Deqlath, Turkish: Dicle, Akkadian: Idiqlat) is the eastern member of the pair of great rivers that define Mesopotamia, along with the Euphrates, which flows from the mountains of Anatolia through Iraq (the name Mesopotamia...

After a month of siege, Townshend wanted to break-out and withdraw southwards but his Commander, Sir John Nixon saw value in tying down the Ottoman forces in a siege. However, when Townshend — inaccurately — reported only one month of food remained, a rescue force was hastily raised. It is not clear why Townshend reported he only had enough food for one month when he actually had food for more than four months (although at a reduced level). Lieutenant General Sir John Nixon (1857-1921) was senior commander of the British Indian Army, he gave the orders for the ultimately disastrous first British Expedition against Baghdad during World War I. Educated at Sandhurst he joined the British Army in India and moved up the ranks steadily. ...

The first relief expedition comprised some 19,000 men under General Aylmer and it headed up the river from Ali Gharbi in January 1916. It was badly mauled in three clashes in January (Sheikh Sa'ad, Wadi and Hanna). At this point Khalil Pasha (the Ottoman commander of the whole region) came to the battle, bringing with him a further 20,000 to 30,000 reinforcements. Fenton John Aylmer (VC, KCB) was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... Khalil Pasha (Turkish: Halil PaÅŸa)(1864 - 1923) was a Ottoman regional governor and military commander. ...

Following the defeat of Aylmer's expedition, General Nixon was replaced as supreme commander by Percival Lake. More forces were sent to bolster Aylmer's troops. He tried again, attacking the Dujaila redoubt on March 8. This attack failed at a cost of 4,000 men. General Aylmer was dismissed and replaced with George Gorringe on March 12. The Battle of Dujaila was fought on March 8, 1916, between British and Ottoman forces. ... March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in Leap years). ... March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (72nd in Leap years). ...

The relief attempt by Gorringe is usually termed the First Battle of Kut. The British gathered around 30,000 soldiers, roughly equal to the Ottoman forces. The battle began on April 5 and the British soon captured Fallahiyeh but with heavy losses, Bait Asia was taken on April 17. The final effort was against Sannaiyat on April 22. The British were unable to take Sannaiyat and suffered some 1,200 casualties in the process. April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... April 17 is the 107th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (108th in leap years). ... April 22 is the 112th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (113th in leap years). ...

The relief efforts had all failed at a cost of around 23,000 Allied killed or wounded. Ottoman casualties are believed to be around 10,000. The Turks also lost the aid of Baron von der Goltz. He died on April 19 supposedly of typhoid but the rumor at the time was that he was poisoned by some of his Turkish officers. It is a fact that there was no German commander in Mesopotamia for the rest of the war. April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... This is about the disease typhoid fever. ...

The British attempted to buy their troops out. T.E. Lawrence was sent to negotiate a secret deal with the Turks. In exchange for 2 million British pounds, the British promised Townshend's troops would not fight the Turks again. Enver Pasha ordered that this offer be rejected (David Fromkin "A Peace to End all Peace" pg. 201). Thomas Edward Lawrence (August 16, 1888 – May 19, 1935), also known as Lawrence of Arabia, and (apparently, among his Arab allies) Aurens or El Aurens, became famous for his role as a British liaison officer during the Arab Revolt of 1916–1918. ... Ismail Enver Ismail Enver, known to Europeans during his political career as Enver Pasha ( Istanbul, November 22, 1881 - August 4, 1922) was a military officer and a leader of the Young Turk revolution in the closing days of the Ottoman Empire. ...

Also, the British asked for help from the Russians. General Baratov, with his largely Cossack force of 20,000 was in Persia at the time. Following the request he advanced towards Baghdad in April 1916 but turned back when news reached him of the surrender (Cyril Falls "The Great War" pg 249).

General Townshend arranged a ceasefire on the 26th and, after failed negotiations, he simply surrendered on April 29, 1916 after a siege of 147 days. Around 8,000 Allied soldiers survived to be made prisoners, about one half dying during captivity. Many died on forced march from Kut to the place of internment. The Turks put the British soldiers into hard labor gangs and worked them to death. April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...

James Morris, a British historian, described the loss of Kut as "the most abject capitulation in Britain’s military history." After this humilitating loss, General Lake and General Gorringe were removed from command. The new commander was General Maude, who trained and organized his army and then launched a successful campaign which captured Baghdad on March 11, 1917. See the Fall of Baghdad for more details. General Sir Frederick Stanley Maude (June 24, 1864 - November 18, 1917) was a British soldier. ... March 11 is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (71st in Leap year). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Combatants The Tigris Corps of British India Sixth Army of the Ottoman Empire Commanders Sir Frederick Stanley Maude Khalil Pasha Strength 50,000 men 25,000 men Casualties unknown unknown, more than 9,000 were taken prisoner Baghdad was the southern capital of the Ottoman Empire in 1917. ...

Sources

• The siege of Kut-al-Amara, to 29 April 1915 — from the website The Long, Long Trail, downloaded January 2006.
• Strachan, Hew (2003). The First World War, pp 125. Viking (published by the Penguin Group).
• Keegan, John (1998). The First World War. Random House Press.