السكك الحديدية في العراق حتى نهاية الحرب العالمية الأولى

الملخص EN

The railway has been used in land transportation and in the Othmani state since the 60's of the 19th century and specially in 1866, when the first railway was opened between Azmeer and lydeen cities and that was followed by building railways in different provinces (wilaya), in the Othmani state.

The Syria province (wilaya) witnessed using of the first train when the railway : Yafa-AlQuds was opened in 1892.

In Iraq, although the great number of projects and the studies of the railways which competed by the great states in supporting them, but these projects didn't come into use, for political, technical and finance considerations.

Germany comes at the beginning of the great states which tried to penetrate inside the state during the project of the railway.

Baghdad-Berlin railways was considered as an important project during building railway between Anadolia and Al-Basrah harbour at entrance of the Arab gulf, but the Germans succeeded to have this privilege with its final formula in March 1903, but this privilege faced many obstacles disrupted its carrying out.

one of these obstacles was the British opposition to the project, which threatened the Germans arrival to the entrance of the Arab Gulf, and this threatened the British advantages in the area, and these problems were not settled until July 1914, the Germans started to carry out this project when the World War I started.

The Germans achieved the extended part between Baghdad and Samarra at 80 mile, so the Iraqis did not get benefit from the transportation services by the railways.

At the beginning of the British occupation to Iraq in 1914, British realized the necessity of building railways in Iraq to achieve many aims such as : supplying a flexibility in its forces movement, arms and foods, in addition to the easiness of spreading these forces in occupying other parts in Iraq for the Benefit of the British occupation, and so far the Building of these lines was not for the Iraqis, but to achieve martial aims for the British occupation, one of the evidences against them is that these forces took off these lines after finishing their martial aims.