as to make famous
in history, was occupied by the British troops on September 11, 1915.
It is situated on a bend of the Tigris and is 120 miles from Bagdad by
road, and 220 miles by water. The retreating Turkish army made a stand
a little to the west of Azizi, which is forty miles to Bagdad by road
and about four times that distance by water. The object of the Turks
in taking up a position at this place, it was discovered later, was to
enable their engineers to prepare near Bagdad the most elaborate and
scientifically arranged system of fortifications that had so far been
constructed in Mesopotamia.

When the British Expeditionary Force began to threaten the "City of
the Caliphs," it was evident that the Turks had found it possible to
extend the Bagdad railway line, by means of which Nuredin Pasha
received fresh troops to reenforce his army, brought hurriedly down
out of Syria. For when the British force reached Azizi on October 13,
1915, it was known that the Turkish commander had recently received
some thousands of fresh troops. Their presence in that part of
Mesopotamia, at that time, could only be explained on the ground that
with the aid of German engineers the Turks had been enabled to
complete railway communications, an important fact that seems to have
been unsuspected by the British military authorities, and which might
lead to serious consequences for the already outnumbered British
force. Until the beginning of November General Townshend's division
remained here, part of the Turkish force being intrenched about four
miles up the river. While it was expected that at any hour the Turks
would attack, they did not attempt the offensive with any strong
force, but skirmishes between the opposing troops were of frequent and
almost daily occurrence. The British infantry were busy many days
digging intrenchments, and every preparation was made by the British
general to make his position impregnable. With shore batteries and a
number of armed steamers and armored boats on the river, it was hoped
that the Turks would make a grand attack. Why they did not when they
had four times the number of men as the British was inexplainable.
Some such move was necessary if they hoped to restore the confidence
of their Arab allies, which was said to be wavering. The recent
British victory had, perhaps, made the Turkish commander doubtful of
his troops, for no serious offensive against the British position was
attempted.

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