WWI in the Middle East

Hussein-McMahon Correspondence

Secret 1914 letters. GB promises independent Arab nation in exchange for Arab revolt against Ottomans.

Sykes-Picot Agreement

1916. GB-FR agree to split ME amongst themselves, Italy, and Russia. Contradicts Hussein-McMahon.

Balfour Declaration

GB announces support for Jewish state in Palestine. Contradicts Hussein-McMahon and Sykes-Picot.

King Crane Commission

American survey of people in Syria and Lebanon that found 3 things were desired:

1. Faisel as king

2. No mandates

3. No Jews

Treaty of Versailles

Came out of Paris Peace Conference. Ended WWI. Terms:

1. Germany had to admit fault

2. Germany ceded Alsace and Poland

3. Germany lost colonies

4. Germany paid reparations

5. German military limited

6. No German air force

Treaty of Sevres

Came out of Paris Peace Conference. Resolved WWI in ME. Terms:

1. Highly limited Ottoman Empire (mainly just Turkey) - Europe had control of treasury

2. Independent Armenia and Kurdistan

3. OE lost control of Fertile Crescent

Led to Turkish War of Independence.

Article 22 of the League of Nations Covenant

Promised Mandate System. Nominally to prepare countries for self-rule, actually just colonization.

San Remo Agreement

Put Mandate System from Article 22 into place. Mostly used Sykes-Picot map, with the exception of Palestine being a British mandate, rather than an international zone.

Treaty of Lausannes

Ends Turkish War of Independence. No Armenia or Kurdistan. Independent Turkey.

Declaration to the Seven

GB reaffirms Hussein-McMahon to Syrian leaders.

Faisel Hussein

Son of Sharif Hussein. General in Arab Revolt. Briefly king of Syria, but was forced out by FR. Fled to Palestine, where GB made him king of Iraq. Sunni Arab.

Abdullah Hussein

Son of Sharif Hussein. King of Transjordan. Sunni Arab.

GB’s Interest in Transjordan

GB wanted Transjordan to connect Egypt and Palestine (both GB’s mandates) to Iraq (also GB’s mandate), so they could build a railroad connecting their eastern African colonies to India.

Demographics of Transjordan

98% Arab, 92% Sunni, mostly urban

Turkish War of Independence

Sparked by Treaty of Sevres. Led by Ataturk. Ended with Treaty of Lausannes.

GB’s Interest in Iraq

Oil.

Also to connect the Fertile Crescent and protect Kuwait (GB’s ally) and India.

Demographics of Iraq

1. Kurds - Sunni, Non-Arab

2. Sunni Arabs - Powerful minority

3. Shia Arabs - Weak majority

4. Yazidi Kurds - Non-Muslim, Non-Arab

Revolt of 1920

Failed Shia nationalist revolt against GB in Iraq.

GB-Iraq Agreement of 1925

Formed BP. Gave BP ownership of oil fields for 75 years in exchange for (small) royalty payments to Iraq.

Anglo-Iraqi Treaty

1930. Iraqi independence in 2 years. GB had rights to military forces in Iraq and retained ownership of BP.

Major Cities in Iraq

1. Mosul (Northern) - Oil, Kurds

2. Baghdad (Central) - Jewish, Sunni, Shia, has trade connections

3. Basrah (Southern) - Oil, Shia, Rivers, Persian Gulf

Demographics of Syria

1. Sunni Majority

2. Arab

3. Some Kurds

4. Some Christian - Maronites

5. Some Druze - Islam-adjacent

6. Some Alawites - Islam-adjacent

FR Take Over of Syria

1. GB abandons Faisel

2. FR invades

3. Battle of Maysalun - FR wins

4. Faisel flees to Palestine

Syrian Revolt

1925-1927. Led by the Druze, specifically Al-Atrash. Started when FR raised taxes during a crop failure. Druze united various ethnic groups over anti-FR sentiment. FR brought in soldiers from other colonies to shut down.

Effects of the Syrian Revolt

1. FR replaced all local leaders with FR officials

2. Lebanon separated

3. Syria split into 4 districts

4. National Bloc formed (Syrian political organization)

5. Syrians call for independence, congress, and a constitution - FR rejects

Balkanization

System of splitting regions into smaller, mutually-hostile states. Divide and conquer.

Religion in Lebanon

1. ~20% Maronite Christian - Unwritten rule that Maronites hold presidency

2. 41% Shia - Speaker of Parliament is Shia

3. 27% Sunni - Prime Minister is Sunni, appointed by and fired by president, who can ignore PM

Lebanese Congress

64 seats for Christians, 64 for Muslims. Based on 1932 census.

Treaty of Constantinople

Secret 1915 treaty. GB, FR, and Russia. GB and FR split OE. Russia gets Dardanelle straits.

Saint-Jean Maurienne Agreement

1917. Reassured Italy so they continued support for the Allied Powers. Promised Italy Smyrna and SW Anatolia.

Treaty of London

1915. Italy joins Allies and is promised Libya and parts of Anatolia.

Armistice of Mudros

1918. Ended WWI in the OE.

Mosul

Northern city in Iraq. Has oil and Kurds.

Baghdad

Central city in Iraq. Has trade connections. Has Jewish, Sunni, and Shia populations.

Basrah

Southern city in Iraq. Has oil, rivers, and access to the Persian Gulf. Mostly Shia.