Fawzi al-Qawuqji

Fawzi al-Qawuqji
Fawzi al-Qawuqji in 1936.
Native name	فوزي القاوقجي
Born	(1890-01-19)19 January 1890 Tripoli, Ottoman Empire
Died	5 June 1977(1977-06-05) (aged 87) Beirut, Lebanon
Allegiance	Ottoman Empire Arab Kingdom of Syria French Mandate of Syria Syrian rebels Kingdom of Nejd and Hejaz Society for the Defense of Palestine  Nazi Germany Arab Liberation Army Arab League
Service/branch	Arab Liberation Army
Years of service	1912–1948
Battles/wars	World War I Mesopotamian Campaign Battle of Beersheba Franco-Syrian War Great Syrian Revolt 1925 Hama uprising Ikhwan Revolt 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine World War II 1941 Iraqi coup d'état Anglo-Iraqi War Syria-Lebanon Campaign Special Staff F 1948 Palestine war Battle of Mishmar HaEmek Operation Hiram

Fawzi al-Qawuqji (Arabic: فوزي القاوقجي‎‎; 19 January 1890 – 5 June 1977) was a leading Arab nationalist military figure in the interwar period, based in Germany, and allied to Nazi Germany during World War II, who served as the Arab Liberation Army (ALA) field commander during the 1948 Palestine War.

Fawzi al-Qawuqji was born in 1890 into a Turkmen family in the city of Tripoli, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire.

In 1912, he graduated from the military academy in Istanbul. Gilbert Achcar calls him "Arab nationalism's leading military figure in the interwar period... served as a commander in all the Arab national battles of the period."

He served as a captain (Yuzbashi) in the 12th Ottoman corps garrison in Mosul, and in several battles during the First World War, including at Qurna in Iraq and at Beersheba in Ottoman Palestine. He was decorated with the Ottoman Majidi Medal for his role in these battles. He was also awarded the German Iron Cross, second class, for his service fighting alongside General Otto von Kreiss' Prussians, who had opposed the British in Palestine during World War I.

The Ottoman Empire collapsed after World War I. Al-Qawuqji supported the independence of the short-lived Arab Kingdom of Syria. In 1920, he fought at the Battle of Maysalun, serving in the army of King Faisal as a captain (ra'is khayyal) in a squadron commanded by Taha al-Hashimi.

After the unsuccessful outcome of the campaign to establish the Arab Kingdom of Syria, Syria became a French Mandate. Al-Qawuqji then joined the 'Syrian Legion' (also known as the French-Syrian Army) which had been created by the French mandatory authorities. Al-Qawuqji received formal training at the French École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr. He became commander of a cavalry squadron in Hama.