Lawrence's exploits took place in the context of World War I, with the British battling the Ottomans. This brings up an important point. World War I featured combatants from around the world. Britain's army especially included soldiers from India, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, who was just happy to be invited. Africans also served with the French, and for a lot of these people, their experiences helped build nationalist movements when the survivors returned home after the war. That's about as close as we get to a silver lining. The war itself was incredibly destructive.