Fynsa
Breaker of schemes. This is how journalist and Master in Political Science Magdalena Guzmán introduced #GertrudeBell, the multifaceted British writer, traveler, archaeologist and orientalist who was fundamental in the shaping of the current nations of the Middle East.
Gertrude Bell was the protagonist of the second installment of the #ValentWomen series organized by #FYNSA. Bell, who was born into a wealthy family in the Victorian era, was the first woman to earn an honors degree in Modern History at Oxford University. Passionate about the Middle East, Bell was a tireless traveler who, sweeping aside the barriers of the time, won the trust and appreciation of tribal chiefs in the deserts of #Arabia. "She made six desert expeditions, getting to know the Arabs like no one else," Magdalena recounted. This knowledge was key to the design of Britain's policies in this area of the world during World War I and the years following this conflict.
She was appointed Secretary of the Orient by the British government in 1917. She died in Baghdad in 1926, where her funeral was attended by a large crowd.
