CARTOON - THE TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS

This cartoon was published in the Western Mail in the middle of the campaign by General Allenby and the forces of the EEF (Egyptian Expeditionary Force) to capture Jerusalem. It was believed that attacking Palestine provided another way of defeating Germany - i.e. by hitting Germany’s weakest allies. Allenby was given the task of taking Jerusalem by Christmas of 1917 and arrived in Cairo at the end of June to begin this task. He decided first up to strike the town of Beersheba, and this was achieved late October/early November with his mounted troops at the famous charge at Beersheba. This was followed up by the EEF moving in 2 directions with one group moving along the Coast to Jaffa (which was taken on the 16 November 1917) and the other group heading towards Jerusalem often facing fierce opposition from Turkish forces as they withdrew. Allenby’s forces did not want to fire on Jerusalem and therefore at the end of November attempted to encircle the Turkish garrison. This failed. Allenby attempted this again on the 7 December (after the cartoon was printed) and this time was successful. Indeed the Turks left Jerusalem with very little resistance. Allenby entered Jerusalem via the Jaffa Gate on the 11 December 1917. Significantly, he dismounted from his horse and walked into the city of Jerusalem, emphasising he came as a liberator not a conqueror.
On of the British officers attending Allenby's entrance into Jerusalem was T.E. Lawrence he later called it 'for me [it] was the supreme moment of the war.'
Following the successful capture of Jerusalem the British Prime Minister sent Allenby a message stating 'War Cabinet wished to congratulate you on the capture of Jerusalem, which is an event of historic and world-wide significance and has given the greatest pleasure to the British and other Allied people'. For the first time in 400 years Jerusalem was considered to be under Christian control and this was used to boost moral for the allies.
The successes of the EEF in Palestine need to be considered against the terrible losses suffered by the Allies during 1917; e.g.. Passchendaele and Bullecourt. The Battle for Jerusalem represented a positive story against the horrors of the Western Front.
Various German papers at this time discussed the importance of the Palestinian campaign for the Allies. In particular the conquest of Palestine protected the Suez Canal, which assured the British Empires and its allies a faster route to India etc.
The significance of the Christian imagery is that Jerusalem had been under Turkish rule since 1517.