The ottoman empire tried to seize the suez canal in egypt with the first suez offensive, and they supported the recently deposed abbas ii of egypt, but were defeated by the british in both aims. Although it saw limited combat operations on its own territory, british and imperial forces used egypt as a staging ground for campaigns against the ottoman empire and the senussi Over 300,000 egyptians were conscripted for manual labor to support the british army. The struggle against the turks in egypt and palestine began with a test of endurance and engineering in harsh desert terrain For centuries before the great war, this land had been part of the ottoman empire. Egypt became a british protectorate on december 14, 1914
During world war i agitation towards the british increased as all sects of the population united in their discontent. On 2 november, the british declared martial law in egypt, where troops had already begun pouring in to defend the country and the canal On 5 november the british declared war on the ottomans, and on 18 december 1914 declared egypt to be a protectorate.
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