Jerusalem, 1918-1920 : being the records of the Pro-Jerusalem council during the period of the British Military Administration

Abstract

The book offers a textual and visual representation of the proposed plans for the newly occupied city and highlights the combination of modern innovations and historical preservation that the planning committee had for Jerusalem. In December 1917, British troops under General Edmund Allenby captured Jerusalem during the Palestine campaign against the Ottoman Empire. Perhaps the greatest prize of any European military expedition in the long nineteenth century, this victory at a stroke gave Britain custody of the holiest city in Judaism and Christianity and of one of the holiest sites of Islam. For three years, from 1917 to 1920, Jerusalem remained under military rule, before being transferred to civilian authority. The Military Governor for that entire period, Sir Ronald Storrs, played a shaping role in the renewal and preservation of the old city in myriad ways. Amongst other initiatives, he established the Pro-Jerusalem Society.