Studied by 13 people1915 - McMahon Hussein Correspondence
the British High commissioner and Sharif of Mecca exchanged letters
Br encouraged Arab independence and promised to help establish a new Gov if they fought against their Turkish rulers
1916 - Arab Revolt
an army was raised to fight the Turks
blew up Turkish trains and bridges
disrupted the flow of military supplies
1916 - Sykes-Picot Agreement
Br and F secretly agreed to carve up Turkey's Arab lands after the war
needed to maintain allyship as the war was not going well
protected the Suez Canal and trading links
maintained power and influence
1917 - The Balfour Declaration
Br Gov expressed support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine
homeland instead of state to avoid contradicting the McMahon-Hussein correspondence and angering the Arabs
wanted to bring the USA into the war, American Jews could help influence their Gov
1919 - League of Nations hands out mandates
at Paris Peace Conference
'peace to end all peace'
Br given Transjordan, Iraq and Palestine, F given Syria and Lebanon
Egypt under heavy British control
1920 - San Remo Conference
ordered Arabs to withdraw and mandates to be enforced
Faisal and Abdullah (proclaimed Kings) removed
Br offered Faisal control of Iraq and Abdullah control of Transjordan as Hashemites (they owe their power to Br)
1919 to 1946 - British rule in Transjordan
created the Arab Legion to help the Br fight incursions
modernisation (roads, communication, education)
created Transjordan Frontier Force to defend borders, responsible to British High Commissioner instead of the Amir
1928; Organic Law (constitution) established
1946; mandate ended due to financial exhaustion after WW2 (full independence in exchange for military facilities
1919 to 1932 - British rule in Iraq
Iraqi nationalists responded to the mandate with rebellion
Br had 100,000 troops in Iraq by 1920 and crushed the rebellion
Br set up a new Iraqi state that was independent but tied to Britain
defended from attacks by Turkey and Iran
1932; granted independence but Br still controlled foreign policy and 2 airbases
oil
1914; Anglo-Persian Oil Company (Br control)
1925; Iraq Petroleum Company (Br 49% share, F & US)
1933; Standard Oil Company in Saudi Arabia (US control)
further dimension to tensions
1914 to WW2 - Britain and Egypt
interest due to Suez Canal cutting through territory
1914; Br forcefully removed pro-Turkish ruler
Cairo flooded with Br troops that seized crops and forced them to work
1919; revolution crushed by Br troops with many injured and killed
1922; Egypt declared independent Sovereign State but Br kept control of vital areas
Formation of the WAFD party (nationalist, delegation seeking to represent) trying to gain complete independence
1936; deadlock broken, Farouk succeeded as King, new treaty allowing them to join LoN
full independence remained a generation away
1920s - Palestine
Arabs angry at increased Jewish immigration
Arabs evicted by new Jewish farms
British High Commissioner was Jewish and seemed to be threatening them
Chaim Weizmann said "make Palestine as Jewish as England is English" at Versailles
1921; unrest in Jaffa and Tel Aviv, 200 Jews and 120 Arabs dead
Br immediately stopped all Jewish immigration, only part would become a homeland
1929; population consisted of 1 million Arabs and 160,000 Jews
1936 to 1939 - Arab Rebellion
caused by expanding Zionist settlements leading to Arabs becoming impoverished
fought to prevent being evicted by the Jews
Arab High Committee called for a general strike, unsuccessful as they were replaced by Jewish workers
widespread fighting broke out, over 20 Jews killed in a month
caught up in civil war by summer
Br responded harshly by hanging and exiling leaders as well as destroying houses suspected of containing terrorists/arms
Br helped train and organise the Haganah
1939 - The Peel Commission
set up by Br to investigate causes of unrest in Palestine
concluded cooperation was impossible and suggested a partition
Arabs rejected the plan
Jewish Agency agreed despite wanting a fully Jewish Palestine as they knew they were not strong enough to demand more
1939 - The White Paper
Br needed the Arab countries onside during WW2 for oil and supplies
scrapped partition, wanted an independent Palestine in 10 years with dual governing responsibilities
continued to rule and restrict Jewish immigration
Jews were furious and felt betrayed
April 1946 - King David Hotel
Br military HQ bombed by the Jewish
Irgun placed bombs
killed 88 (15 Jews)
February 1947 - officers club
Br officers club in Jerusalem
bombs and gunfire
20 died
Br introduced martial law for 15 days
1947 - British decision to hand over Palestine
Two incidents in 1947 convinced the British to withdraw
The hanging of two British soldiers in retaliation, which was front page in many British newspaper
The publicity of the British preventing The Exodus carrying 4500 refugees landing gaining sympathy for Jewish refugees
Britain were facing worldwide criticism
Exhausted after WW2, couldn't afford to keep troops in Palestine
Decided to hand over to the UN in May 1948
1947 - UN Partition Plan
set up separate Arab and Jewish states
Jews to be given 55% of territory despite being only 1/3 of the population
Jerusalem to be an international zone
Arab High Committee rejected as many Arab areas had been designated to the Jews
Jewish Agency accepted but were not pleased that Jerusalem was excluded
Irgun said it was 'illegal'
Nov 1947 to May 1948 - Civil War
Arab High Committee proclaimed a 3 day strike, led to outbreaks of violence against Jews
wealthy Arab business owners fled to avoid conflict
Jewish forces were initially defensive but turned offensive to gain control of land and roads leading to Jerusalem
the Arabs had no organised military
Arab leaders either divided or exiled
soldiers from Syria and Iraq came to help but the Jews predicted this
March 1948 - Plan D
made by the Haganah
take over installations evacuated by the Br and expel as many Palestinians as possible
forcible expulsion from villages down coast (Haifa to Tel Aviv)
if the Arabs refused to leave they would be forced into lorries and driven to Transjordan
Explosions in Haifa, nearly 100,000 Arabs fled the village
April 1948 - Deir Yassin
massacres of civilians to secure roads leading to Jerusalem, some in retaliation
Irgun fighters attacked the Arab Territory and killed 245 inhabitants
claimed they believed it was an Arab HQ
May 1948 - Arab Exodus
300,000 Arabs had fled Palestine by this point
14th May 1948
State of Israel declared by Ben-Gurion
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