1 9 1 4 , ▁En ver ▁P asha ' s ▁al liance ▁with ▁Germany ▁led ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁into ▁the ▁fatal ▁step ▁of ▁joining ▁Germany ▁and ▁Austria - H ung ary ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁against ▁Britain ▁and ▁France . ▁The ▁British ▁saw ▁the ▁Ott om ans ▁as ▁the ▁weak ▁link ▁in ▁the ▁enemy ▁al liance , ▁and ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁knock ing ▁them ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁war . ▁When ▁a ▁direct ▁assault ▁failed ▁at ▁Gal lip oli ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁they ▁turned ▁to ▁f oment ing ▁revolution ▁in ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁domains , ▁explo iting ▁the ▁aw ak ening ▁force ▁of ▁Arab , ▁Armen ian , ▁and ▁Ass y rian ▁national ism ▁against ▁the ▁Ott om ans . ▁ ▁The ▁British ▁found ▁an ▁al ly ▁in ▁Sh ar if ▁Hus sein , ▁the ▁her edit ary ▁r uler ▁of ▁Me cca ▁( and ▁believed ▁by ▁Muslim s ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁desc endant ▁of ▁Muhammad ), ▁who ▁led ▁an ▁Arab ▁Revol t ▁against ▁Ott oman ▁rule , ▁after ▁being ▁promised ▁independence . ▁ ▁The ▁Al lies , ▁led ▁by ▁Britain , ▁won ▁the ▁war ▁and ▁seized ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁territ ories ; ▁Turkey ▁just ▁managed ▁to ▁surv ive . ▁The ▁war ▁transformed ▁the ▁region ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁increased ▁British ▁and ▁French ▁invol vement ; ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁Eastern ▁state ▁system ▁as ▁seen ▁in ▁Turkey ▁and ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia ; ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁explicitly ▁more ▁national ist ▁politics , ▁as ▁seen