Oil of Empires/Transcript

Excerpt
'The British Empire controlled 25% of the earth surface as war broke out. British high command recognized that a new mechanized conflict was inevitable. Fuel for these new machines of war came from lands dominated by the Ottomans. These regions also held vital trade routes, like the Suez Canal. Controlling these areas across the Middle East was therefore a critical step in winning the war for both Empires.'

Introduction
Narrator/Announcer: With war on the horizon, British high command recognized that a new mechanized conflict was inevitable. Fuel for these new machines of war came from lands dominated by the Ottomans. These regions also held vital trade routes and strategic positions, controlling them was therefore a critical step in winning the war.

Introduction
British Officer: It seems remarkable that in order to get our dreadnoughts running we have to travel all the way to the Persian Gulf ourselves. Frankly, it's bewildering that such a valuable resource should be buried in the bloody desert. That said, these Ottoman savages shouldn't be too hard to clear out. You know I'm half tempted to get stuck in the champagne already. But then, what would I have to look forward to in victory? Tea?

Briefing
AL-FAW PENINSULA PERSIAN GULF 1914

British Officer: Our fleet has entered the gulf and our forces are already on the shores. To secure the beachhead, we must first capture the Ottoman Outpost on the tip of the Al-Faw peninsula, and then fight our way through their defences in the Sunwada Marshes, and finally, secure what we came for—the Fortress of Fao itself. Only when this is accomplished will the oil be secured for our empire.

Failed Attacks
First Lost, British Officer: We lost this attack. I know you fought hard, but these Turks are tougher than expected. Prepare for another attack. This time, we won't let them off so easily.

Second Lost, British Officer: Another loss. Luck was not on our side boys. Our resources are depleting but we can still muster one final attack. So sharpen your bends, strengthen your will, for now we fight again.

Victory
British Officer: What courage men. What valor! We have secured the oil fields for our great empire. But news has reached us of an imminent Ottoman attack on the Suez Canal. We need to redeploy immediately.

Defeat
British Officer: We lost the battle men, but this war goes on, so do not lose faith. Prepare to fight again, someday, somewhere, for the liberation of all peoples under the yoke of these imperial despots is a cause that never ends.

Introduction
Ottoman Officer: (in Turkish) We know why they have come. They have come for our oil. This black gold, so abundant here, it is both a curse and a blessing. For it can turn nations into empires—but it also turns men into monsters. And monsters know only war. So while the oil continues to flow there will be no peace here.

Briefing
AL-FAW PENINSULA PERSIAN GULF 1914

Ottoman Officer: The British have landed on our shores and are threatening the entire Al-Faw peninsula. We shall meet them head on at this Outpost here. At which point, we will complete a fighting withdrawal to our second line of defense, in the Sunwada Marshes. Finally, we will fall back to our key defensive position, the Fortress of Fao. As long as its walls remain standing, the British quest for oil will perish in the sand.

​Sucessful Defenses
First Defense, Ottoman Officer: We won. Such brave fighting my brothers. But though the imperial beast has been wounded, it still lives. Prepare to defend again.

Second Defense, Ottoman Officer: Yes! We humble soldiers, brethren of the Ottomans, we have shown these heathens over and over what true courage is. But our scouts report of one final attack, so raise your heads once more.

Victory
Ottoman Officer: Rejoice, brothers! Victory is ours! Your spirits, your determination and your faith, have proved too much for those pagan invaders. You have done your people an honor. The empire salutes you!

Defeat
Ottoman Officer: We lost. The British, not satisfied with conquering half the world, have taken these lands from us. But this curse is also a blessing, for now we can join our brothers to attack the Suez Canal.

Intermission
Narrator/Announcer: Some time after the British secured the oil fields in the Persian Gulf, the Ottomans launched an audacious attack on the Suez Canal, the key to maintaining British dominance in the world.

Introduction
British Officer: Whatever you think of these damn Turks, you cannot call them weaklings. Their army must have marched across the whole bloody desert in about 10 days—under this burning sun. Right now they occupy the far bank of our precious Canal. I can see them, watching us like wolves. Tomorrow we shall be upon them like the devil.

Briefing
WESTERN BANK OF THE CANAL 1915

British Officer: The Ottomans are threatening the Suez Canal, the bloodline of our empire. First, we must overrrun the enemy lines on the East Bank. And from there, swiftly push through the village of Kantara. This will allow us to mount an assault on their artillery positions on Hill 50. When the guns have been silenced, we will push the Ottomans back into the Sinai Desert.

Failed Attacks
First Lost, British Officer: They defended with beast-like resolve. Most unexpected, but they lack our spirit, men. We will attack again, and they will be defeated.

Second Lost, British Officer: We lost this attack, yet we fought hard and with great courage. Our entire empire depends on us securing this canal and this is our final attack. Let us push those Ottomans back to where they came from.

Victory
British Officer: I salute you men, for you have fought like lions and seen off this brutal foe. Let us not rest until we have finished them off for good, let us after them men, enter the desert!

Defeat
British Officer: We have lost a prize more valuable than all the oil in these lands. Our only path is retreat. And while the British Empire still stands, we will not stop until Suez is ours again!

Introduction
Ottoman Soldier: (in Turkish) Yesterday we made an attack on the Suez canal. A surprise, but this vein of the British Empire has not yet been severed. We must await their attack, for the Imperial beast still sleeps. The fools did not believe we could survive such a march across the desert. Tomorrow, Emir, they will regret their stupidity. Praise the Sultan.

Briefing
WESTERN BANK OF THE CANAL 1915

Ottoman Officer: Our forces have gained a foothold by the Suez Canal, blocking the bloodline of the British Empire. We will hold on to our trenches on the East Bank for as long as possible. If they are lost, we will fall back to the village of Kantara. Should Kantara fall, we will retreat to our rear artillery position on Hill 50, and defend it to the last man. As long as our guns can remain on that hill, we will grind the British down and force them to abandon the canal.

​Sucessful Defenses
First Defense, Ottoman Officer: You fought like vipers my brothers and victory is ours. But the British are desperate. They must have this canal and they will be back. So be ready to fight again.

Second Defense, Ottoman Officer: We won! I smell the Englishmen's fear. But keep those bayonets sharp, dear brothers, for he will be back one last time. If we take him down now, the great Suez Canal will be ours.

Victory
Ottoman Officer: Victory is ours! We have a foothold beside the great Suez Canal. A secure base we can use to launch our fight back against the imperialists. British cowards, we Ottomans are coming for you!

Defeat
Ottoman Officer: The spirits of this land do not favor us. The British have taken the canal once again. We must return from where we came, back across the desert. And if they dare to follow us, they will find men more worthy of life than they are!

Intermission
Narrator/Announcer: Once the British has secured the vital Suez Canal, they continued their pursuit of the Turks into the depths of the Sinai Desert. Here, the Ottoman army had brought temporary, but strong defenses.

Introduction
British Officer: We pursue the Ottomans into the depths of the Sinai desert, a place so vast that I feel insignificant—so timeless that I think of those who have come before us. This will truly be a battle from Roman times. Like them, our objectives are cities with mythical names. Jerusalem, Nazareth, Damascus. If the ruins around me could speak, they would warn us—warn us of ourselves.

Briefing
EAST OF EL-JIFAR 1915

British Officer: We have sighted the Ottomans, men. They are dug in ahead of us at the Ruins of Sonsuz. We must capture this position and force them back into the Canyon of Jabal. There we must rout them, so they retreat to the outpost of Bir el Mazar. This is our chance to secure the whole of this region.

Failed Attacks
First Lost, British Officer: We lost, but be noble in defeat, be proud. For you fought like lions, and will do so again. Now raise a dust storm and blow this army from the desert!

Second Lost, British Officer: We have been defeated, men, but the battle is not over. Let regret fuel your courage for this final attack. Now we must win, or all will be lost!

Victory
British Officer: You won, brothers! Though your mouths were dry, your rifles hot, and your horses fell in the heat, you have achieved a famous victory! Your country is proud. The empire salutes you!

Defeat
British Officer:

Introduction
Ottoman Soldier: (in Turkish) I've been guarding for two days straight. Earlier, I imagined an entire battalion of steel monsters advancing across the desert through the heat haze. But I tell myself that there are no such thing. I am simply tired. And the tales the men tell of these machines are just scare stories invented by enemy.

Briefing
EAST OF EL-JIFAR 1915

Ottoman Officer: This desert is ours. Here we are the masters, so it will not be hard to defend the ancient Ruins of Sonsuz from those infidels. But if they should take them, then we must fall back to the Canyon of Jabal. There, we will stand fast. Or, if the spirits are are not with us, we should retreat to Bir el Mazar, where we will defend to the last man.

​Sucessful Defenses
First Defense, Ottoman Officer: Victory! Soldiers be proud, our defenses are holding. We have shown the British that might is nothing compared to faith. Keep your heads high, and be ready!

Second Defense, Ottoman Officer: Victory! The imperial beast is wounded! That savage devourer of land has been harmed. But it will come for us one last time. Keep your eyes sharp and your hands on your weapons!

Victory
Ottoman Officer: Let this great Ottoman victory be the first of many! Let these dry winds take this news across the world! Forward brothers, always forward, for conquest, fame, and eternal happiness!

Defeat
Ottoman Officer: Brothers, be noble in defeat, be humble. Though the British rejoice, these lands cannot be owned. These sands will always be free! Now march, back to our homelands, and walk with pride!

British Empire Victory
Narrator/Announcer: Though the Allies were victorious across the Middle East, the problems of victory remained to be solved. Clashing ambitions, broken promises and manipulated borders planted the seeds of new conflicts that would dominate this region for many years to come.

Ottoman Empire Victory
Narrator/Announcer: Victory for the Ottomans in the Middle East would have been seen as a sign of renewed strength in the ailing empire. If so, the power gained from controlling the worlds' oil supply would almost certainly have seen the Ottoman government abandoning their support of the Central Powers.