Gertrude Bell played a crucial role in the formation of the state of Iraq after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. She was a unique specialist in the Middle East and engaged in espionage for British military intelligence. For her work, this amazing woman was awarded the rank of officer, and this was the first such case in the history of Great Britain.
Childhood and youth
Gertrude Bell was born on July 14, 1868 in the English county of Duram, on the Washington Hall family estate. Her father, Thomas Hugh Bell, was a major steel tycoon and a fairly influential politician. In addition, he had the title of baronet. That is, the Gertrude family was not only very wealthy, but also noble. As for the mother, she died when the girl was three years old.
Five years after that, Hugo Bell married Florence Olive. This woman always loved her stepdaughter as her own daughter, and Gertrude’s childhood was quite happy and carefree.
Until the age of 15, the girl studied at home, and then became a student of one of the London schools. There, a history teacher advised Gertrude to get a higher education, and she followed this advice - she entered Oxford. By the age of twenty, she had a diploma of this prestigious institution in the direction of "Recent History".
After that, together with Uncle Frank Lassels, a prominent English diplomat, she traveled to Bucharest and Constantinople (Istanbul). Oriental manners made a really deep impression on Gertrude.
Returning to London, the girl began to lead an active social life. She wanted to find a husband for herself, but over the next three years she never met anyone suitable.
An affair with Henry Cadogan
In 1892, Gertrude decided to again go to the East - to Tehran. In this city, she perfectly mastered the language of Farsi and met many representatives of the local colonial administration.
At the same time, Bell fell in love with the charming diplomat Henry Cadogan. But he was comparatively poor and Gertrude's parents were categorically against such a marriage. They asked her daughter to return to England, and she did not dare to disobey them. And Henry was given a condition: he had to improve his financial situation in order to marry Gertrude.
But the young people failed to play the wedding: in the summer of 1893, Henry Cadogan suddenly fell ill with cholera and died. And in the future, Gertrude was not lucky in her personal life - she never married, and she also did not have children.
Bell travels in the Middle East and exploration work
By 1896, in addition to Farsi, Bell also learned Arabic. And three years later, in the winter of 1899, Gertrude was in Jerusalem. It was from here in the spring of 1900 that her caravan headed to desert Arabia. During this journey, Gertrude met many leaders of local tribes, visited Jebel and Transjordan, as well as the fortress of Salhad, located in the territory controlled by the Druze.
At the end of 1911, Bell went on a new expedition - through the Euphrates and Babylonia. She visited Baghdad and talked here with a promising Oxford student, who was soon destined to become very famous - Thomas Lawrence (in the end, he received the nickname "Lawrence of Arabia").
When the First World War began, the Admiralty of the British intelligence service in Cairo needed help in dealing with the Arabs. A brilliant knowledge of the language and customs of the local tribes made Gertrude a very valuable figure. In 1915, she became an unofficial intelligence officer.
Bell did not have much authority among the military, but among specialists in the Middle East, she had no equal. And in the end, her knowledge and professionalism was appreciated by the merits of the British commander in chief in Mesopotamia - he awarded her the rank of major and the title of "Middle Eastern Secretary."
Gertrude Bell, along with the already mentioned Thomas Lawrence, was able to play a significant role in the events of the so-called Great Arab Uprising of 1916–1918. This uprising eventually led to the emergence of several independent states in the Middle East. Bell's main task was to bring local influential people to the side of Great Britain, and on the whole she dealt with it.
Gertrude Bell and the formation of the Iraqi state
After the final collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Gertrude Bell was asked to analyze the situation in Mesopotamia and suggest possible options for governing Iraq. As a result, she put forward the idea of creating a formally independent state under the leadership of King Faisal Ibn Hussein, one of the main instigators of the uprising against the Turks.
It was Bell’s support that helped Faisal I of the Hashemite clan come to power in Iraq. In addition, Gertrude took part in determining the borders of this new state.
Before Faisal I became king, she traveled around the country with him as a proxy, introducing him to the leaders of local tribes. Faisal was an introverted man and knew how to manipulate people. But Gertrude got along quite well with him, friendly relations were established between them.
