T.E. Lawrence, also known as Thomas Edward Lawrence, was born on August 16, 1888 and died on May 19, 1935. Although he died a young death he managed to live a rather interesting life filled with knowledge, adventure and great hope for the future. He was born illegitimately to Sir Thomas Robert Tighe Chapman and Sarah Junner Lawrence who was the governess of his legitimate children. Lawrence became a graduate at Jesus College in Oxford where he became fascinated in archaeology and made several trips doing field research throughout Europe and the Middle East to study the influence of the Crusades on European military architecture up until the 12th century.
The Pre-War Years
As he moved into graduate school, his study of archaeology and love for the field kept growing as he started developing a specialty in the Middle East and learning the history and culture of its people. In 1914, he worked with famed archaeologist, Leonard Woolley on several archeology surveys in the Middle East until war broke out. It is also said that several of their archeology surveys that year were a secondary front that was used as reconnaissance missions in order to prepare for a potential war with the Ottoman Turks who had been the regional power in the Middle East at that time.
The War Years
Given his first hand knowledge of the Middle Eastern territories of the Ottoman Empire, T.E. Lawrence volunteered in the British army and was given an intelligence position in their Cairo office. With his unique expertise and background knowledge of the people in the region, he was recruited by the Arab Bureau of Britain’s Foreign Office to spark a rebellion of the Arab tribes within the Ottoman Empire. At that time, the Ottoman Empire was considered the “sick man of Europe” and a rebellion in the Middle East would severely drain much needed resources in order for them to combat both the Arab tribes and the British army. Fortunately for the British, this offensive worked to their advantage as Lawrence successfully led the Arab revolt and a series of coordinated guerrilla attacks that contributed to their victories in the port city of Aqaba and Damascus.
Post War Years And The Creation Of A New Arab State
As his fame became known throughout the world, Lawrence played a key role in the Paris Peace Conference by serving on the delegation of Prince Emir Faisal who was working to establish his claim as King of a new Arab state which was promised to him by T.E. Lawrence. However, the British and French governments had other plans when they signed the Sykes-Picot Agreement during the war that allowed for Britain and France to carve out portions of the Ottoman Empire for themselves. This agreement forever changed the structure of the Middle East and the implications from it are still being felt today.
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