Ends and means

Davis, Paul K.

Indian Expeditionary Force D landed at the head of the Persian Gulf on 7 November 1914 and quickly gained control of the area around Basra. Since the British army was already involved in drawn-out trench warfare in France, and the outlook there was far from bright, it seemed odd that the British government would commit troops to another campaign. The traditionally accepted rationale behind this move has been the protection of oil supplies used by the Royal Navy - but the campaign veered seriously away from its original intent. What followed was perhaps the finest example of blind political ambition in wartime. In April 1915, another division was added to Force D; and its new commander, General Sir John Nixon, arrived in Mesopotamia with orders to protect the oil supply, establish British control in the province of Basra, and prepare plans for a possible future offensive on Baghdad....

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