British occupation of the Jordan Valley

The occupation of the Jordan Valley by the <a href="/facts/Egyptian_Expeditionary_Force/oSUBfMBR">Egyptian Expeditionary Force</a> (EEF) began in February 1918 during the <a href="/facts/Sinai_and_Palestine_Campaign/sXxMkGFQ">Sinai and Palestine Campaign</a> of World War I. After the <a href="/facts/Capture_of_Jericho/bH3rH0eA">Capture of Jericho</a> in February the <a href="/facts/Auckland_Mounted_Rifle_Regiment/HV0hed5d">Auckland Mounted Rifle Regiment</a> began patrolling an area of the Jordan Valley near <a href="/facts/Jericho/934P9FMl">Jericho</a> at the base of the road from <a href="/facts/Jerusalem/PKJ8LT0Y">Jerusalem</a>. Towards the end of March the <a href="/facts/First_Transjordan_attack_on_Amman/KFkH4T44">First Transjordan attack on Amman</a> and the First Battle of Amman were launched from the Jordan Valley followed a few weeks later by the equally unsuccessful <a href="/facts/Second_Transjordan_attack_on_Shunet_Nimrin_and_Es_Salt/tqVX9roY">Second Transjordan attack on Shunet Nimrin and Es Salt</a> at the end of April. During this time the occupation of the Jordan was fully established and continued through the summer of 1918. The occupation ended in September with the <a href="/facts/Battle_of_Megiddo_(1918)/pUopA9NE">Battle of Megiddo</a> which consisted of the <a href="/facts/Battle_of_Sharon/D3FJ35sx">Battle of Sharon</a> and the <a href="/facts/Battle_of_Nablus_(1918)/Lg548hjy">Battle of Nablus</a>. The <a href="/facts/Third_Transjordan_attack/7Hqv95NP">Third Transjordan attack</a> and <a href="/facts/Second_Battle_of_Amman/CqQhyCJF">Second Battle of Amman</a> were fought as part of the Battle of Nablus.
Despite the difficult climate and the unhealthy environment of the Jordan Valley, General <a href="/facts/Edmund_Allenby%2c_1st_Viscount_Allenby/WTaRQ94M">Edmund Allenby</a> decided that, to ensure the strength of the EEF's front line it was necessary to extend the line which stretched from the Mediterranean, across the <a href="/facts/Judean_Hills/C6zQH7D2">Judean Hills</a> to the <a href="/facts/Dead_Sea/X2hgGG0w">Dead Sea</a> to protect his <a href="/facts/Flanking_maneuver/QpkIXjLe">right flank</a>. This line was held until September, providing a strong position from which to launch the attacks on <a href="/facts/Amman/eGCyJk1L">Amman</a> to the east and northwards to <a href="/facts/Damascus/IL0Qwt6R">Damascus</a>.
During the period from March to September the <a href="/facts/Ottoman_Army/M1aX9Q3a">Ottoman Army</a> held the hills of <a href="/facts/Moab/4rUBWB87">Moab</a> on the eastern side of the valley and the northern section of valley. Their well placed artillery periodically shelled the occupying force and, particularly in May, German aircraft bombed and strafed bivouacs and horse lines. As a consequence of the major victory at Megiddo the occupied area was consolidated with other former <a href="/facts/Ottoman_Empire/6QvfTRsg">Ottoman Empire</a> territories won during the battle.

British occupation of the Jordan Valley open-in-new

British occupation of the Jordan Valley