The Middle East – 1900 - 1945
 For the last millennium, the middle east has been dominated by Islamic
powers, most recently the Ottoman Empire
 Traditional, the Arabs have led as nomadic lifestyle, with loyalties to family,
clan, tribe, religious sect but little concept of nationalism
 With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire (the Eastern Question, Crimean
War, 1860 - 1900), European, particularly the British, were anxious to gain
influence in this region
 Much of the current geographic boundaries of the middle-east were created
by English cartographers and politicians during this period
 European-style nationalism was a by-product of the colonialism
 During the WWI, the British conducted secret negotiations with Arab
leaders, the Arabs would fight the Turks in return for independence
 However, 1916 the Sykes-Picot agreement was signed – a treaty which
allowed the French and the British to divide the region amongst themselves
 In 1917, the Balfour Declaration was signed – which outlined British
support for a Jewish state in Palestine (A result of Zionist pressures, which
traced their origin back to the Dreyfus Affair)
 Obviously, Arabs opposed this declaration
 In the Interwar period, Iraq became (semi) independent with the
establishment of an Arab King
 Also, Arab-Jewish conflicts were beginning as Zionists moved into
Palestine, all the while, the British tried to balance the two groups
 Also, this period gives rise to the dualism of Arab culture (secularism vs.
Spiritualism) as mid-eastern states try to modernize
 During WWII, the British tried to appease Arab leaders, to ensure loyalty
against the Nazi’s – The White Paper of 1939 – limit Jewish immigration
for 5 years
 Also, thousands of Jews moved to Palestine to escape Nazi persecution
 By the end of WWII, most Mid-eastern state had achieved national
autonomy, but not independence because the great powers wished to ensure
petroleum supply – political and military presence often stayed for years
 The Arab league was created with British support in 1945
 Many Jews leaving the concentration camps wanted to go to the promised
land
 The British were faced with the dilemma of allowing Jewish immigration to
Palestine and alienating Arabs and risking oil supply or imprison Jews in
order to stop them from moving in to the area.
 The stage was set for conflict.