Lecture Notes: The Middle East and World War I

Introduction

• Quote from 14th-century Arab poet Safi Al-din Al-Hilli on Arab values.
• Introduction by Nate Bowling discussing modern Middle East and historical changes.

Geographic Changes in the Middle East

• 1914: Region divided between Ottoman and British empires.
• The transformation from Ottoman control to independent Arab states began in 1914.

The Ottoman Empire Pre-WWI

• Diverse in religion and ethnicity: Christians, Muslims, Jews, Arabs, Turks, Armenians, Bulgarians.
• Ottoman Empire showed weakness, especially with British encroachment near Mecca.

Declaration of Jihad

• Issued at the start of WWI to incite Muslims in Allied empires against colonial powers.
• The Ottoman sultan was the caliph, a religious and political leader.
• Despite common misconception, the British Empire had more Muslims than the Ottoman Empire.

Arab Revolt (1916)

• Led by Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca, seeking more autonomy.
• Revolt against Ottoman control, inspired by promises from British.
• The flag of the revolt, symbolizing historical Arab empires, was designed by British officer Mark Sykes.

British-Arab Relations

• Sharif Hussein engaged in correspondence with British official McMahon for support.
• British promised recognition of an independent Arab kingdom but were unfulfilled.

The Sykes-Picot Agreement

• Secret agreement between Britain, France, and Russia to divide Ottoman lands.
• Created arbitrary lines, not necessarily matching modern borders.
• Different zones of influence: Blue (French control), Pink (British control), Yellow (Jerusalem under condominium).

The Balfour Declaration (1917)

• British support for a Jewish national home in Palestine.
• Britain’s conflicting promises to Arabs, Jews, and their own interests.

Post-WWI Middle East

• Paris Peace Conference (1919): Realities differed from wartime promises.
• Sharif Hussein’s downfall; defeated by Ibn Saud, leading to formation of Saudi Arabia.
• Independent states post-WWI: Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran.

Mandate System

• Former Ottoman provinces became League of Nations mandates.
• French control over Syria and Lebanon; British control over Iraq, Palestine, Jordan.
• Colonial influence persisted beyond WWII.

Emerging Identities and Movements

• Arab provinces faced arbitrary lines, leading to new identities.
• Iraqi nationalism and Pan-Arabism emerged.
• Rise of Islamic solidarity, e.g., Muslim Brotherhood founded in late 1920s.

Legacy of WWI

• Lines drawn during imperialism led to lasting conflicts.
• Arab nationalism continued through leaders like Gamel Abdel Nasser.
• The impact of WWI still evident in regional politics today.