How World War I Ended the Ottoman Empire Forever — Fexingo History

The Ottoman Empire's Last General: Fakhri Pasha's Defense of Medina

9 min · 13. juni 2026
episode The Ottoman Empire's Last General: Fakhri Pasha's Defense of Medina cover

Description

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable story of Fakhri Pasha, the Ottoman commander who refused to surrender Medina even after the Armistice of Mudros ended World War I. For 72 days after the war officially ended, Fakhri Pasha held the holy city under siege by Arab forces loyal to Sharif Hussein, defying orders from Istanbul and even the Sultan himself. Using the Hijaz Railway as his lifeline, he maintained discipline among his starving troops while protecting the Prophet's Mosque and its relics. Lucas unpacks Fakhri's background as a military attaché in Berlin, his role in the Ottoman war effort, and the bizarre coda where he was arrested by his own men and extradited to Malta. The episode also touches on the symbolic weight of Medina's defense as the last gasp of Ottoman sovereignty in the Hejaz, and how Fakhri's stubborn loyalty to the sultan-caliph became a legend among Turkish nationalists and a footnote for historians. #FakhriPasha #OttomanEmpire #Medina #HijazRailway #WorldWarI #SiegeOfMedina #MudrosArmistice #SharifHussein #Hejaz #TurkishHistory #TE Lawrence #ArabRevolt #OttomanArmy #MaltaExile #ProphetMosque #MiddleEastHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

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157 episodes

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