World War I & The Middle East:
Nationalist Hopes & Broken Promises
1914-1922
What became major goals for each of the following groups during World War I?
 Arabs:
 Jews in Europe:
 The Young Turks:
Arab Nationalism & World War I
 Arabs desired
 Hussein-McMahon Letters, 1915-1916
o What did the British promise would happen at the conclusion of WWI?
 British assisted
o T.E. Lawrence (aka “
against the Ottomans,
”)
Jewish Nationalism: The Zionist Movement
 Before 1st C CE, Palestine =
o

 Zionist Movement established, 1897
o formed by
o Goal:

 Balfour Declaration issued by Britain, 1917
o Read the Balfour Declaration
1. What do the British promise to the Zionists?
2. How do the promises by the British conflict with the promises they
made to the Arabs?
The Balfour Declaration, 1917:
Foreign Office
November 2nd, 1917
Dear Lord Rothschild [a British politician & Zionist member].
I have much pleasure to convey to you, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, the following declaration of
sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations [hopes] which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet.
His Majesty’s Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish
people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate [assist] the achievement of this object, it being clearly
understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish
communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.”
I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.
Yours sincerely,
ARTHUR JAMES BALFOUR
British Foreign Secretary
How did the Treaty of Versailles & League of Nations affect these nationalist hopes & British
promises?
League of Nations Mandates in the Middle East (post-1919)
 British Mandates:
 French Mandates:
THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
 Mustafa Kemal “Ataturk”, 1881-1938
o
 Ataturk’s goals for Turkey:
o Boost nationalism (“
o Strengthen Republic

o Secularism
 1924 
Ataturk’s Reforms:
1. “Turkify” the Islamic faith:
2. Western-style clothing:
3. Language reform:
4. State socialism:
”)