PostWW 1 Middle East By 1914 WW 1

Post-WW 1 Middle East

• By 1914 (WW 1), all of N. Africa was under Euro control • Ottoman Empire was already weakened significantly, having lost all its remaining European territories except eastern Thrace (still part of today’s Turkey)

• Ottoman allied with the Central Power vis-à-vis Triple Entente • Central Power lost- Ottoman had to pay a price • During WW 1, major Triple Entente powers –a series of secret treaties to divide the Ottoman Empire after victory • The best known- Sykes-Picot Agreement • At the same time, to fight against the Ottomans they also concluded secret treatises with Arabs (Husayn-Mc. Mahon Correspondence)

(Husayn-Mc. Mahon Correspondence) • Brit High Commissioner in Cairo, Mc. Mahon wrote to the Sharif (local governor in Hijaz) to start revolt against the ottoman • Husayn’s demand- Br pledge –financial & political support vs. Ott & his enemies • Husayn’s demand- to create ind Arab states in the Ar peninsula & most parts of Fertile Crescent (greater Syria) • Mc. Mahon agreed excluded some parts the most contested /toughest Palestine. • ‘exclude portions of Syria lying to the west of Damascus, Homs, Hama and Aleppo” (vagueness)

• Exclusion was it confined to only Lebanon, a region coveted by France • Or also Palestine. • Arabs claimed Br promised Palestine to them. • Br also had a secret agreement with the Zionist

• Goldschmiddt’s take- West of Syrian cities. Lebanon, Br cared mare about its ally France than a homeland for Jewish “homeland” at this time. • Palestine exclusion angered Husayn and refused to accept the deal.

Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916 • • • Key Players- Br , France, Russia Vested interest in Ottoman Empire Russia- control of the Turkish Straits Italy –large portion of s/w Anatolia Greece- Izmir France- Syria, Lebanon & Palestine

• According to Sykes-Picot, there were to be: • An ‘A’-zone of French influence, somewhat corresponding with present-day Syria but without coastal access, and extending far into present-day Iraq, to include the city of Mosul. • A ‘B’-zone of British influence, roughly correspondent to present-day Jordan and Iraq and including the Israeli port city of Haifa. Also included were the southern part of present-day Israel (i. e. the Negev desert), and a band of territory extending deep into the Arabian peninsula. • A ‘Blue’ zone of direct French control, in central Anatolia with extensions towards the south (the Syrian coast) the west (the southern Turkish coast) and far inland.

• A ‘Red’ zone of direct British control, in southern Iraq and extending southwards over Kuwait to include the Persian Gulf coast of Arabia. • An international zone in the Holy Land, pending consultation with other world powers. • The main criticism of the Sykes-Picot Agreement was that it failed to take into account the wishes of the Arab populations in the area – who had been promised self-determination • Lawrence of Arabia, who promised the Arabs a homeland in exchange for siding with the British against the Turks. • Anglo-French treaty represented the West’s betrayal of Arab cause, secret was not made public until after WW 1 • 1917, Balfour Declaration (More on this later)

Reconciling the Conflicting Promises • Wilson’s 14 -points- denounced secret treatises, urged selfdetermination for all peoples (specifically in ex-Ott territories) • No one could reconcile the various conflicting claims of Arab, Zionist, Brit & France • Wilson solution-referendum (self-determination) in Syria • France protested it the same should take place in Iraq, else boycott it • Commission limit Zionist plan (jewish immigration to Pal) rule out any plan for turning Pal as Jewish national homeland • Wilson suffered stroke before he could read the commision’s report

What’s Next? San Remo & Treaty of Sevres(1920) • France & Brit agreed to settle differences • France gave up its claim to Mosul and Pal- got a free hand in the rest of Syria • System called “mandates”(tutelary relationship) • France & Brit agreed to divide ME mandates • Syria & Lebanon- France • Iraq & Palest (incl. today’s Jordan) to Brit

What about Amir Faysal in the 1920 s ?

• Led by Sherif Husayn, they helped France & Brit to defeat Ott • Allies failed to keep their promises to Husayn • Arabs hoped to est control in the fertile Crescent • The Fertile Crescent is a historical region in the Middle East that includes the Syria, Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt These countries on a map together have a shape that is similar to a crescent

• In this area where Arabs were the majority, the Allies set Mandates (colonies in disguise) • Instead of coming together the Arabs were pulled farther apart • One area Palestine was declared to Jewish homeland