Quando as guerras eram outras.

Palestina, Primeira Guerra Mundial.

O plano Aliado para acabar com o Império Turco-Otomano está em marcha. Por um lado, as tribos árabes incitadas contra os turcos pelo oficial inglês T. E. Lawrence ("da Arábia"). Por outro, as tropas britânicas contra os bastiões do Exército Turco, armado e aconselhado por oficiais alemães. Entre os britânicos estavam as tropas australianas e neo-zelandesas (ANZAC), cuja infantaria montada (que não era cavalaria, não combatiam a cavalo mas a pé) se cobriram de glória no ataque a Beersheba (actualmente Israel).

The Turkish defences of Beersheba were strongest towards the south and west. There they had a line of trenches, protected by barbed wire, supported by strong redoubts, all constructed along a ridge. To the north and east the defences were much weaker, and crucially lacked any wire. No serious attack was expected from the area of rocky hills east of the town. Beersheba had just been designated as the headquarters of a new Turkish Seventh Army, but on 31 October that army had not yet come into being. The town was defended by 3,500-4,000 infantry, 1,000 cavalry with four batteries of artillery and fifty machine guns.Allenby allocated a very powerful force to the attack on Beersheba. Three infantry and two cavalry divisions would take part in the attack. Two of the infantry divisions were to attack against the main Turkish defences, to the south west of the town, to tie down the Turkish garrison. The third division was to protect against any Turkish reinforcements arriving from the north-west. Meanwhile, the two divisions of the Desert Mounted Corps (Anzac Division and Australian Division) were sent around the town to the east, with orders to sweep into the town through the weaker eastern defences.

Isto é que eram guerras...