WORLD WAR I
Our Focus is ONLY on the HOLY LAND (PALESTINE)
Postal Offices (Civilian and Military)
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Background
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THREE POSTAL CATEGORIES
♦ Turkish [Ottoman–Civilian and Military]
♦ Foreign Military [Allies and Other Central Powers]
♦ Jewish Connection
[Jewish Legion, Turkish Jews and Jewish POWs]
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Post Offices (Civilian and Military)
HOLY LAND (PALESTINE) Only
Turkish (Ottoman Empire) military action in World War I started on October 29, 1914 with their attack on Russia’s Black Sea coast; and ended on October 30, 1918 with the signing of the Armistice of Mudros.
The following POSTAL changes occurred.
- The Turkish (Ottoman Empire) Post Offices.
- The Turkish Post Offices (Civilian) continued to operate during the war until September, 1918.
- Military FPO (Field Post Offices) were begun for the military.
- All Foreign Post Offices (Austrian, French, German, Italian and Russian), operated UNTIL September 30, 1914; and, were CLOSED on October 1, 1914.
- As World War I progressed, Military Mail was used by the combatants.
- Allies Powers: [BRITISH–British, Australian/New Zealand, Indian; FRENCH (Detachment); ITALIAN (Detachment)].
- Central Powers (Turkish is listed SEPARATELY, see above): [GERMAN–German, Austrian/Hungarian].
NOTE:
- Jewish Connection is presented separately as:
- Jewish Legion (Part of Allies Powers–British).
- Turkish Jews (Part of Ottoman Military Post Offices).
- Jewish POWs.
World War I Images
♦ Allies Power
(Below are items from SOME of the Military Posts)
♦ Other Central Powers
(Below are items from SOME of the Military Posts)
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Jewish Connection
(Below are items from SOME of the Military Posts)
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BELOW from Alexander Collection (see link below).
. . . . In the history of Eretz- Israel, World War I will be remembered as a dark period of starvation, expulsion and the use of the population as pawns in a confrontation between powerful nation-states.
. . . The Ottoman Empire officially joined the war on the side of the Germans and the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of October 1914. On August 2, the Turks signed a secret agreement with the Germans for reciprocal military support against the Russians. The same day, a military call-up was announced for a general recruitment of soldiers*, beginning in Turkey and then spreading throughout the entire Empire.
On October 1, the privileges of foreign citizens living in Eretz Israel were revoked* – an annulment of previous capitulation agreements. As a result, all foreign consulates and postal agencies in the country, including the offices of Turkey’s allies, Austria and Germany, were closed*.
The old Jewish settlement saw the cancellation of these agreements as a scheme to sever their bond with Eretz-Israel, since their life there depended upon foreign citizenship granted by the European powers. The choice facing foreign citizens was to become Ottomans or leave the country*.
At the beginning of the war, some groups of settlers supported the Turkish war effort*, going so far as to praise the annulment of the capitulation agreement; they believed that, as Jews who agreed to adopt Ottoman citizenship, they would receive better treatment from the governing authorities*.
At the close of 1914, the curtain rose on the war in Palestine*, engaging the region in many parallel events in which 690,000 inhabitants were involved, including 85,000 Jews*.
*(All red font is Editor’s choice)
http://alexandercollection.org/collection.aspx#collection=11