Occupied Enemy Territory Administration

Initiation On 23 October 1918, following the British and Arab forces' defeat of the Ottoman Empire, Field Marshal Edmund Allenby announced that Ottoman Syria was to be split into three administrative sub-units, which varied very little from the previous Ottoman divisions: • OETA South, consisting of the Ottoman Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem and the sanjaks of Nablus and Acre. This was the first administrative definition of what was to become Mandatory Palestine; • OETA West (originally OETA North, renamed two months later) consisting of the Ottoman Beirut Vilayet, the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate, the Sanjak of Latakia, and a number of sub-districts; and • OETA East consisting of the Ottoman Damascus Vilayet and the southern part of the Aleppo Vilayet. The governors of Aleppo were later to sponsor the Occupation of Zor. The area of Ma'an and Aqaba was administered by OETA East and claimed by the Hejaz. In December 1918, following the occupation of the region of Cilicia, a new territory was set up. • OETA North, consisting of the Adana Vilayet Later events Petitions received from OETA South (became Palestine), OETA West (became Lebanon and Western Syria) and OETA East (became Syria and Transjordan); it has been described as "the first-ever survey of Arab public opinion". Under this administration the immediate needs of the people were provided for, seed grain and live-stock were imported and distributed, finance on easy terms was made available through the Army bankers, a stable currency was set up and postal services restored. Allenby insisted that as long as military administration was required, it was to remain his responsibility. ==Military administrators==

OETA South chief administrators The area was divided into four districts: Jerusalem, Jaffa, Majdal and Beersheba, each under a military governor. Both of the first two British administrators, Generals Money and Watson, were removed by London for not favouring the Zionists over the Arabs; when the OETA administration ended, Liberal party politician (and former British Home Secretary) Herbert Samuel was installed as the first civilian administrator. OETA East administrators OETA East was a joint Arab-British military administration. The Arab and British armies entered Damascus on 1 October 1918, and on 3 October 1918 Ali Rida al-Rikabi was appointed Military Governor of OETA East. Prince Faisal son of King Hussain of Mecca entered Damascus as on 4 October and appointed Rikabi Chief of the Council of Directors (i.e. prime minister) of Syria. The boundary definition of OETA East left uncertainties to the south and east, leading to competing claims from the Kingdom of Hejaz and Occupied Iraq respectively – see Occupation of Ma'an and Occupation of Zor for further details. • Rida al-Rikabi (3 October 1918 – 26 November 1919) OETA North (West) administrators • Marie Antoine Philpin de Piépape (7 October 1918 – 19 November 1918) • Jules Camille Hamelin (19 November 1918 – 21 November 1919) • François Georges Barb (21 November 1919 – 1 September 1920) OETA North (Cilicia) administrators • Édouard Brémond ==Initiation and administration==

The OETA was established on 23 October 1918, under the accepted rules of military occupation, and defined as follows: == Disestablishment ==

The OETA administrations were disestablished at different times in each of the regions, following the formal appointment of civil administrations (prior to the formal coming into force of the mandates): • OETA South: 1 July 1920, Herbert Samuel was appointed as High Commissioner for Palestine • OETA West: 31 August 1920, Henri Gouraud proclaimed the State of Greater Lebanon, the Alawite State and the Sanjak of Alexandretta was merged into the State of Aleppo • OETA East: 26 November 1919, when the British withdrew in favor of the Emirate of Syria. ==References==