Jerusalem in World War I: The Palestine Diary of a European Diplomat

About the Book

When World War I broke out in Europe in the autumn of 1914, a young diplomat was sent to Jerusalem to take charge of the Spanish consulate in the city. Antonio de la Cierva y Lewita, better known as Conde de Ballobar, recorded the events he witnessed and described his experiences and opinions in a unique document that has become an invaluable resource for historians. Ballobar's diary provides an unparalleled insight into late Ottoman Jerusalem - and the upheavals of wartime life in the city - and includes a detailed account of the battle amongst the local churches over control of the city's holy places. Also touching upon the spread of Zionism and the establishment of British rule, Ballobar writes as a privileged observer of an exceptionally complex historical period. Available in English for the first time, this book will be essential reading for students and scholars of the late-Ottoman Empire and World War I in the Middle East.

Table of Contents:

Introduction
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
Notes

About the Author :
Antonio de la Cierva y Lewita - Conde de Ballobar and Duque de Terranova - was born in Vienna in 1885 where his father was serving as Spanish military attache. In 1911 Ballobar entered the Spanish consular service and in May 1913 Ballobar was appointed consul in Jerusalem. In 1920 he married Rafaela Osorio de Moscoso and the year after Ballobar resigned his commission as consul and moved back to Spain where he served the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with different assignments. Between 1949 and 1952 he served again as consul in Jerusalem and until 1955 as director of the Obra Pia. Ballobar died in Madrid in 1971 aged 86. Eduardo Manzano Moreno is Research Professor at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) and Director of its Centro de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales (CCHS). His research has concentrated on the history of Muslim Spain and the political implications of historical memory. While studying at SOAS, University of London, he came across references which led him to identify, locate and publish in Spanish the Diaries of Conde de Ballobar. His recent publications include, 'The Iberian Peninsula and North Africa', in The New Cambridge History of Islam; Epocas Medievales and La gestion de la Memoria.Roberto Mazza is Assistant Professor in the Department of History, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL. He is also Research Associate in the Department of History at SOAS, University of London.

Review :
'[This is a] fascinating narrative of daily life in Jerusalem during the Great War as observed by the Spanish consul Ballobar - one of the few European diplomats who remained in the embattled city during the war. Roberto Mazza's erudite introduction - based largely on the underutilized Spanish and Italian archives - contextualizes the diary within the debate about the nature of Ottoman rule of Palestine at the turn of the century. Of particular importance, and originality, is the discussion about the diarist's close relationship with the controversial figure of Cemal Pasha, the Military Governor of Syria, and a leading figure of the Young Turks.' Dr. Salim Tamari, Director of the Institute for Palestine Studies, Editor of the Jerusalem Quarterly, Professor of Sociology at Birzeit University; 'With this excellent translation of the Spanish consul Conde de Ballobar's diary, another invaluable historical record is added to our growing knowledge of the history of Jerusalem and its communities during the years of World War I. The diary offers a vivid and lively description of the city and enriches our understanding of the complex reality of this period, with the different agents acting within it: its residents from the various religious and national groups, the representatives of foreign powers as well as the Ottoman authorities. This translation will surely be used as a source for future studies of the city of Jerusalem during the fascinating times of World War I and the change of regimes.' Dr. Abigail Jacobson, author of From Empire to Empire: Jerusalem Between Ottoman and British Rule; 'The diary of the Spanish consul in Jerusalem, Conde de Ballobar, is a treasure for historians of World War I in Palestine. [Until now] it was a hidden treasure. This translation of the diary into English presents this treasure to the astonished public. From now on, this diary will be an indispensable tool for those who try to really understand the situation in this decisive period almost one hundred years ago.' Dr. Norbert Schwake, author of Deutsche Soldatengraber in Israel