Anti-Imperialism in the Orient: Max von Oppenheim, the German Empire, and the Reordering of the Middle East during the First World War (1914–1918) Kindle Edition

Anti-Imperialism in the OrientMax von Oppenheim, the German Empire, and the Reordering of the Middle East during the First World War (1914–1918)What if the German Empire in the First World War was not only an imperial power—but also, paradoxically, a catalyst for anti-imperial movements in the Middle East?This book tells the largely forgotten story of one of the most radical and controversial strategies of modern German foreign policy: the attempt to undermine British, French, and Russian imperial dominance not through colonial conquest, but through revolution, national liberation movements, and the principle of self-determination. At the center of this project stands Max Freiherr von Oppenheim—archaeologist, Orientalist, political strategist, and the intellectual architect of a program designed to ignite resistance from North Africa to Afghanistan.Drawing on extensive archival research in Germany and Iran, Stefan M. Kreutzer offers the first comprehensive analysis of the anti-imperialist dimensions of Wilhelmine policy in the Middle East. He demonstrates that the much-debated “jihad made in Germany” was not conceived as a fanatical religious war, but as a politically calculated call for liberation from colonial rule. Religion served as a mobilizing framework, not as an end in itself.The study combines high-level diplomacy with ground-level action. It follows German envoys, officers, and operatives such as Wilhelm Waßmuß, Oskar von Niedermayer, and Werner Otto von Hentig, whose activities in Persia and Afghanistan triggered real uprisings, tied down British forces, and produced long-term political consequences. Although Germany ultimately failed to implement Oppenheim’s program in a coordinated way, individual missions proved remarkably effective—contributing to persistent pro-German sentiment in Iran and to Afghanistan’s independence in 1919.Kreutzer decisively challenges the claim that Germany bears responsibility for the rise of modern Islamist extremism. Instead, he situates Oppenheim’s strategy within the broader history of early anti-colonial movements, emphasizing its focus on sovereignty, equality, and national self-determination—concepts that entered global political discourse even before they were popularized by Woodrow Wilson or Lenin.Anti-Imperialism in the Orient is more than a study of German wartime policy. It is a global reinterpretation of the First World War, illuminating the origins of modern Middle Eastern politics and the overlooked alternatives to European imperial domination. Scholarly yet highly readable, analytically rigorous yet vividly narrated, this book will appeal to historians, students, and readers seeking a deeper understanding of the political roots of today’s conflicts in the Middle East.A landmark work on war, revolution, and self-determination—now available in a revised English-language edition.This book is particularly valuable for readers interested in:The First World War beyond EuropeGerman foreign policy and global strategy (1871–1918)Anti-imperialism and colonial resistanceThe political history of the Middle East, Iran, Turkey, and AfghanistanIslam and politics in the early 20th centuryThe origins of national self-determinationRevolution, propaganda, and unconventional warfareIntelligence, diplomacy, and covert operationsPan-Islamism and early anti-colonial movementsThe long-term roots of modern Middle Eastern conflicts Read more