Britain and France in ME Flashcards
before WW1
both controlled Suez -trade and strategic military significance and both needed oil
Britain also controlled Egypt, Iran and Persian gulf
WW1 and immediately after
1915 - MacMahon-Hussein
1916 - Sykes-Picot
1917 - Balfour Declaration
1919 - Mandates to Br and Fr
1921
France invaded Syria to dethrone Faisal
1920s
Britain installed Faisal and Abdullah as puppet rulers of Iraq and Transjordan
mandates
France: Syria and Lebanon
Britain: Palestine, Iraq and Transjordan
Britain in Palestine
allowed increasing Jewish immigration
wanted to set up a Jewish state, but faced increasing opposition from Palestinians
during and after WW2
all mandates gained independence and Palestine was handed over to UN who set up Israel
1956: Suez crisis
1991: Britain helped invade Kuwait
2003: Britain helped invade and occupy Iraq
British aims pre 1956
to protect Suez, to protect oil supplies, control mandates and to promote Israel
US policy up to 1948
support for Zionism - Biltmore Declaration 1942
recognised Israel 1948
US cold war priorities
-needed to maintain relations with Arabs to stop USSR influence spreading - tried to gain Nasser’s support in 1950s, supported him in Suez
after Suez, US became dominant GP in ME
Eisenhower Doctrine 1957
Eisenhower feared USSR influence - showed support for Arabs against Israel, while still supporting Israel
this even-handed treatment of Arabs and Israel helped maintain peace
US policy after 6day war
- US “Jewish lobby” (4 million) urged gov to support Israel. Saw Israel as key to peace in ME
- support for Isreal after 1967 saw many Arab countries move closer to USSR
US influence after 1973
Egypt and US realised they needed to be friendly to the other
Egyptian and Syria attack on Israel shook US belief in Israeli superiority
US peacekeeping 70s-2000s
1978 Camp David
1979 Treaty of Washington
1991 Madrid Conference
1993+95 Oslo
2000 Clinton tried further to resolve Israel-Palestine issue
2003 Bush began “road map to peace”
2009 Obama stated opposition to Jewish settlements on WB
US military involvement 1980s-2003
1980-88 US support Iraq
1990-91 US led coalition forces
1991 began occupation fo Iraq to look for WMD
2003 invaded Iraq again
key US aims
supporting Israel
safeguarding oil supplies 1956 –>
Israel/Palestine settlement 1970s —>
Cold war dominance and stability 1950s-90s
“war against terror” 2000s
Soviet’s in ME before WW2
some attempts to gain influence in Iran for oil
soviet cold war objectives
protect its borders with Iran and Afghan
gain influence over Arab states and spread communism
soviet-Egyptian relations
supported Nasser against Britain and Israel
supported Czech arms deal 1955 and provided economic aid for Aswan
soviets in and after Suez
supporter Nasser against West
supplied arms to Egypt and Syria - “its client states”
soviets in 1967
told Nasser Israeli troops were preparing to attack Syria
this encourages Egypt to invade and trigger war - although they insisted this wasn’t their aim
soviets 1967-73
arab defeat in 1967 was a major blow to Soviet prestige
USSR continued to supply arms, although it risked major conflict
1970 Sadat expelled soviet advisors
soviets 1973
USSR supplied more arms to Egypt
after the war, it was clear that the US was the dominant power in the region. Sadat, therefore, turned to US to help negotiate peace
League of Nations after WW1
1919 Mandates to BR and Fr
1922 LON confirmed aim of creating a Jewish homeland
UN and Israel
1947 set up Israel
1967 Resolution 242 called for “peace for land” in Israel/Palestine
UN and Iraq
1990 sanctions against Iraq to force it to withdraw from Kuwait
2003 didn’t give approval for US and UK invasion fo Iraq
aims of LON
divide ME between European powers to create stability
to promote Zionism
