LAWRENCE, THOMAS EDWARD°

LAWRENCE, THOMAS EDWARD ° (1888–1935), English archaeologist, Orientalist, and author known for his exploits in World War i as "Lawrence of Arabia." Lawrence first visited the Near East in 1909, when he went to Syria and Palestine to prepare his study on Crusader architecture. In 1911–14 he joined an archaeological expedition in Carchemish and, together with Leonard *Woolley, he mapped the Negev and the Sinai Desert. After the outbreak of World War i, when Turkey joined the Central Powers, he was posted to *Cairo and served in British military intelligence. There he joined the Arab Bureau, set up on Jan. 1, 1916, and was charged with exploiting Arab national ambitions for British war aims. In June 1916, when the anti-Turkish Arab revolt, led by Emir Feisal, began, Lawrence was attached to him as liaison officer on behalf of the British and was instrumental in arming and financing the rebellion. Lawrence directed the military operations of the Arab rebels who destroyed Turkish military installations, captured Akaba (1917), and ultimately entered Damascus (1918).

At the end of World War i, Lawrence was a member of the British delegation at the Paris Peace Conference and became the adviser of Emir Feisal, who represented Arab interests. In both these capacities he arranged a meeting between Feisal and Chaim *Weizmann, whom he greatly admired. The negotiations between Feisal and Weizmann, with Lawrence as interpreter and adviser, led to an agreement by which the national and historical rights of the Jews to Palestine were recognized, Britain would be the trustee power in Palestine, and the country itself would be developed to create room for 4,000,000–5,000,000 Jews. In return, the Jews would extend financial and technical aid and advice to revive the Arab countries. Lawrence hoped that such an agreement would serve to push the French out of the Middle East and destroy the *Sykes-Picot agreement. Later Lawrence served as adviser to Colonial Secretary Winston *Churchill and, together with him and Sir Herbert *Samuel, participated in the Cairo Conference (1921), which confirmed the Balfour Declaration, recommended that Feisal (whom the French had expelled from Damascus) be king of Iraq, and appointed his brother *Abdullah as ruler of Transjordan. After a few months in Transjordan as chief British representative in Amman, Lawrence returned to England and resigned his post. In 1926 he published his book, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, about the Arab revolt and his part in it and a shorter version in 1927 entitled Revolt in the Desert. His other works, Crusader Castles (2 vols., 1936), The Wilderness of Zin (1936), and Oriental Assembly (1940), appeared posthumously. "Lawrence of Arabia" has remained a legendary, romantic figure, one of the most famous military adventurers of modern times, and the subject of a famous film biography (1962). He was considered the champion of the Arab national cause who had accused the British of betraying their obligations to it. This image, as well as many details about his life and adventures, became the topic of considerable controversy in later biographical and political research. There seems no doubt, however, that Lawrence never was an anti-Zionist and that he regarded Zionism and Arab nationalism as complementary forces in the Middle East.

bibliography:

P. Knightley and C. Simpson, The Secret Lives of Lawrence of Arabia (1969); R. Graves, Lawrence and the Arabs (1927); R. Aldington, Lawrence of Arabia (1955); B.H. Liddell Hart, T.E. Lawrence – In Arabia and After (1945); A.W. Lawrence (ed.), T.E.Lawrence by his Friends (1937); R. Storrs, Orientations (1937), index; C. Weizmann, Trial and Error (1949), index. add. bibliography: ODNB online; L. James, The Golden Warrior: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia (1995); J.M. Wilson, Lawrence of Arabia: The Authorized Biography of T.E. Lawrence (1989).

[Daniel Efron]