Churches at War: The Impact of the First World War on the Christian Institutions of Jerusalem, 1914-1920

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to discuss the role and status of the Christian Institutions of Jerusalem from the beginning of the twentieth century until 1920 when British Military Administration of Palestine came to an end, with a particular focus on the First World War period. The first part of this article provides some historical background on a number of crucial issues: the history of the Christian Churches in Jerusalem, the relationship between the Churches and the Ottoman authorities, the competition with the European Powers for the control of the Holy Places, the Status Quo and the capitulations which were the most important political features of Christian Jerusalem until 1914. The case study of the Custody of the Holy Land explains the impact of the war on Christian institutions during and in its aftermath, particularly in 1918 when the Custody rebuilt its influence in the city and on the international stage. The second part of the article focuses on the war period and the creation of the Christian-Muslim associations which, to an extent united the Arab population of the city providing a different example of the impact of the war on the Christian institutions of Palestine and Jerusalem.