# XCVII explained — Seven Pillars of Wisdom > Chapter companion for Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T. E. Lawrence. ## What happens Lawrence proposes a strategic plan to Feisal involving the transfer of regular units from Ali and Abdulla to Akaba, a mounted raid on Deraa-Damascus, and coordination with Allenby's offensive. He travels to Cairo and Jeddah to secure support from Wingate and King Hussein, but the King evades commitment. Allenby confirms a major offensive for September, aligning with Lawrence's plans. ## Themes in this chapter ### War and Guerrilla Tactics Lawrence outlines a strategy of mounted raids and coordinated offensives to disrupt Turkish communications and support Allenby's advance. ### Colonialism and Imperialism British officials like Wingate and Allenby exert financial and military pressure on King Hussein to align with Allied plans. ## Character check-ins ### T.E. Lawrence Proposes military strategy, negotiates with Feisal, Wingate, and Allenby, and attempts to persuade King Hussein. ### Emir Feisal Agrees to Lawrence's proposal and provides letters to his father, King Hussein. ### Sherif Hussein King Hussein avoids Lawrence's request for reinforcement, citing Ramadan and poor telephone connections. ### General Allenby Confirms a grand offensive in September and blesses the transfer of contingents. ### Guy Dawnay Agrees to the transfer of southern regulars and the independent offensive in Cairo. ### Sir Reginald Wingate Writes to King Hussein advising reinforcement of Feisal, but refuses to threaten subsidy cuts. ## Key lines > I explained to Feisal that Nasir’s cutting of the line would endure another month; and, after the Turks had got rid of him, it would be yet a third month before they attacked us in Aba el Lissan. Lawrence told Feisal that Nasir's disruption of the railway would last a month, and after the Turks dealt with him, another three months would pass before they could attack Aba el Lissan. _Lawrence estimates the timeline for Turkish response to guerrilla actions._ > The long-distance mounted raid, by taking Deraa or Damascus, would compel the Turks to withdraw from Palestine one division, or even two, to restore their communications. A mounted raid on Deraa or Damascus would force the Turks to pull one or two divisions out of Palestine to protect their supply lines. _Strategic rationale for the proposed raid._ > Allenby had a curious blindness of judgement in choosing men, due largely to his positive greatness, which made good qualities in his subordinates seem superfluous; but Chetwode, not content, had interposed again, setting up Bartholomew, his own Chief of Staff, in the third place of the hierarchy. Allenby was poor at selecting subordinates because his own greatness overshadowed their qualities, but Chetwode intervened to install Bartholomew as a key staff officer. _Lawrence critiques Allenby's leadership style and notes organizational changes._ > On June the fifteenth it had been the considered opinion of a private conference that the army would be capable of a general and sustained offensive in September. A private conference on June 15 concluded that the army could launch a major sustained offensive by September. _Timeline for the planned Allied offensive._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/seven_pillars_of_wisdom_se/chapters/xcvii - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/seven_pillars_of_wisdom_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/seven_pillars_of_wisdom_se/chapters