Iran-Iraq War, Persian Gulf War & Middle East Conflicts Overview, Arab Nationalism, Middle East Conflicts, and Iranian Revolution, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Zionism, Wars, and Key Historical Events, Ottoman Empire, Arab Revolt, and Middle East Po…

What were the causes of the Iran-Iraq War?

Iraq, backed by the US, invaded Iran for oil and regional dominance.

What was the outcome of the Iran-Iraq War?

Iran won the war while using chemical weapons.

What was the Ba'ath Party?

A political secular party in Iraq that aimed for peaceful unification of Arabs.

Who was Saddam Hussein?

A high-ranking Ba'ath Party member who became president of Iraq.

What chemical weapons were used in the Iran-Iraq War?

Iraq used mustard gas and Sarin gas.

What are human wave tactics?

Large formations of volunteer soldiers rushing towards the enemy.

What were the causes of the Persian Gulf War?

Iraq invaded Kuwait to limit oil production and increase oil prices.

Who organized the coalition to help Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War?

George H.W. Bush organized 30 countries to assist.

What was Operation Desert Storm?

A military operation where coalitions hit Iraq with missiles and bombs for 43 days.

What is OPEC?

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which coordinates oil policies.

What are WMDs?

Weapons of mass destruction that Iraq may or may not have possessed.

What was the Iraq War caused by?

The belief that Iraq possessed WMDs.

What was the outcome of the Iraq War?

The US invaded Iraq, captured Saddam Hussein, and caused mass destruction.

What is the Law of Return?

It allows anyone Jewish to move to Israel and become a citizen.

What is the Right of Return?

The claim by dispossessed people to return to their historic homeland.

What happened during Black September?

3,000 Palestinians were killed in Jordan to expel them.

Who was Menachem Begin?

The controversial PM of Israel who wanted to annex Palestine.

What triggered the First Intifada?

The killing of 4 Palestinians by an Israeli car.

Who was Yitzhak Rabin?

The PM of Israel who campaigned for peace with Palestinians.

What were the Oslo Accords?

Agreements providing mutual recognition and a process for Palestinian self-rule.

What is the Palestinian Authority (PA)?

A temporary elected body representing stateless Palestinians.

What was the outcome of the Camp David talks in 2000?

The talks failed due to disputes over Jerusalem and the right of return.

What caused the Second Intifada?

Israel's claim over Temple Mount land.

What is Hamas?

An Islamist organization that won elections in 2006 and refused to recognize Israel.

What were the Abraham Accords?

Agreements where the UAE recognized Israel, followed by Morocco, Sudan, and Bahrain.

What is Pan-Arabism?

Unification of Arab peoples and states, stressing the importance of Arab nationalism.

What party took control of the Syrian government?

Syria's Ba'ath Party, led by Hafez Assad.

What was the outcome of the Iraqi Ba'ath Party's military coup in 1958?

Ahmad Hassan al-Bakr became president of Iraq.

What caused the Suez Canal Crisis?

Egypt closed the canal to Israeli ships after the war with Israel.

What was the outcome of the Suez Canal Crisis?

Nasser nationalized the canal again after being pressured.

What is the significance of the Sinai Peninsula?

Israel captured it during conflicts and the Suez Canal is located there.

What is Fatah?

A Palestinian militant group dedicated to establishing a Palestinian state.

Who led the Fatah?

Yasser Arafat.

What is the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)?

A political and military organization formed to unite Palestinian groups with the goal of establishing a Palestinian state.

Where are the Golan Heights located?

On the border of Syria and Lebanon.

What initiated the Six Day War?

Israel started bombing Egypt first.

What was the outcome of the Six Day War?

Israel won and captured large amounts of land.

What does UN Resolution 242 state?

No countries should acquire territory by war; all countries have the right to live in peace within secure borders.

What is a War of Attrition?

A type of war where the first to run out of resources loses.

What was the Yom Kippur War?

A conflict where Egyptian and Syrian troops attacked Israel; Israel won and borders remained the same.

What was the oil embargo?

A ban on the sale of oil to the West, causing huge disruptions to Western economies.

Who was Anwar Sadat?

The Egyptian president who realized Egypt couldn't continue fighting and sought peace.

What were the Camp David Accords?

An agreement where Egypt recognized Israel, leading to increased Israeli settlement in the West Bank.

What is nationalism?

The belief that a people with shared ethnic, cultural, and/or religious identities have the right to form their own nation.

What is Nasserism?

An ideology led by Nasser promoting Arab unity and socialism, opposing Western influence.

What is the Baathist Movement?

An attempt to bring Pan-Arabism and promote secular government and socialism.

What is Wahhabism?

A conservative form of Islam that advocates strict adherence to Sharia Law.

What is the Muslim Brotherhood?

An organization founded in Egypt in 1920 aiming to establish Islamic governance.

What was Al Qaeda's goal?

To change Afghanistan into an Islamic state.

Who was Reza Shah?

The ruler who implemented reforms including military service and judicial changes based on Western models.

What was the significance of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company?

It was a significant source of revenue, accounting for 25% of state revenue.

What was the outcome of the 1953 Coup in Iran?

CIA-backed coup that installed the Shah after the fall of Mohammad Mosaddeq.

What was the White Revolution?

A series of reforms initiated by the Shah in the 1960s, including land reform and women's voting rights.

Who was Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini?

A critic of the Shah who denounced his policies and sought to establish an Islamic Republic.

What happened on Black Friday in Iran?

Protests against the Shah led to martial law and the deaths of thousands from sniper fire.

What was the outcome of the 1973 Iranian Revolution?

The establishment of an Islamic Republic under Sharia Law.

Pogroms

Racially motivated riots, usually sanctioned by the government and organized.

First Aliyah

Immigration of Jews to Eretz Yisrael from 1882-1903, unorganized.

Second Aliyah

Organized immigration of Jews to Eretz Yisrael from 1904-1914, where 40,000 Jews moved.

Theodore Herzl

Main leader of Zionism, wrote the book 'The Jewish State'.

Zionism

Ideology to create a Jewish land in Palestine.

Tel Aviv

All Jewish city built by colonizers, created farms.

Kibbutzim

Jewish communal farming settlement where all settlers share property and work collaboratively.

Haganah

Jewish militant group that attacked British and Palestinians.

Vladimir Jabotinsky

Radical revisionist Russian Zionist who called for massive Jewish immigration to Palestine and Jordan.

Irgun

Terrorist group that staged conflicts against British and Palestinians to further their goals.

Western Wall

First serious outbreak of Zionists vs. Palestinians, located to the west of Temple Mount.

Temple Mount

Holiest site in Judaism, 3rd holiest site for Islam, important site for Christianity.

Dome of the Rock

Muslims worship this mosque in Jerusalem.

Al-Aqsa Mosque

Located in Jerusalem, where Muslims pray; limited access for Jews.

Peel Commission Report

An investigation on the Arab uprising that called for Palestine to be partitioned into Arab and Jewish states.

White Paper (1939)

A solution that tried to satisfy Arabs; GB no longer planned for Palestine to become a Jewish state.

The Arab League

Regional political alliance of Arab nations formed in 1945.

United Nations & UN Special Committee on Palestine

International organization established in 1945 to promote peace, security, and cooperation.

UN Resolution 181

Passed Nov. 29, 1947; proposed partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.

Intercommunal War

Caused by Haganah terrorists invading Palestinian land, leading to loss of homes for Palestinians.

Deir Yassin

A peaceful Palestinian village where Jewish soldiers massacred the inhabitants.

1948 Arab-Israeli War

Caused by surrounding countries invading Israel; resulted in Arab losses.

Refugees

People who flee to escape persecution or violence; 750,000 Palestinian refugees fled during the war.

al-Nakba

The Catastrophe; 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes.

Gaza Strip

Palestinian land occupied briefly by Egypt; many refugees fled there.

Knesset

120 seat, single house legislature; the Israeli government.

David Ben-Gurion

First Prime Minister of Israel; created the terrorist group Haganah.

Israeli Defense Force (IDF)

Formed when three Jewish terrorist groups (Haganah, Irgun, Lehi) joined to create a super defense group.

Muslim Brotherhood

500,000 member religious faction demanding greater loyalty to Islamic values.

Gamal Abdel Nasser

Led the Free Officers group which staged a coup against King Farouk of Egypt.

Ottoman Empire

One of the most powerful empires.

Holy Land

Region of historical significance for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Osman I

Leader of the Ottoman dynasty.

Sultan

Title for the ruler of the Ottoman Empire.

Jerusalem

City of religious importance, historically contested.

Janissaries

Elite wing of the Ottoman Empire; boys taken from Christian towns.

Suleyman

One of the greatest Ottoman sultans; conquered Hungary and North Africa.

Mosques

Muslim places of worship.

Caliph

Leader of Muslims; title taken by sultans.

Causes of decline

Corruption, failed conquests, Janissary revolts, lack of innovation & technology.

Sick man of Europe

Term used to describe the weakening Ottoman Empire.

Tanzimat

Name given to the Ottoman Empire's efforts at reform and modernization.

Young Turks

Group of military officers wanting to modernize and unify the empire.

Genocide

The Armenian Massacre during WWI.