British Policy and the Middle East Flashcards
why was the Middle East important in the first world war?
-it was the route through which Russia’s supply lines could be kept open through the Dardanelle straits
-Suez Canal was important to speed up access between UK and empire in India, as it allowed a speed up of troops.
-British army depended on oil from the ME from 1912
-helped militarily with there being 750,000 military losses.
how did the British keep the Russians in WW1?
-Treaty of Constantinople 1915, offer Russia control of the Dardanelle Straits and access to the warm water port.
how did the British keep the French in WW1?
-started discussing the future partition of the Ottoman empire led by George Picot and Sir Mark Sykes become the Sykes Picot agreement May 1916.
-split the Middle East into direct and indirect control.
-British would take the direct control of Iraq to the Persian Gulf and indirect control of the region that from the Egyptian border to the Persian Gulf.
-French would directly control Lebanon and coastal region of Syria as far south as Acre and indirectly control the rest of Syria up to the Iranian border.
how did the British bring the Italians into WW1?
-Treaty of London in April 1915, promising Italy parts of the Ottoman territory.
-Saint-Jean Maurienne agreement with France and Italy which Italy was further promised Smyrna and south-west Anatolia.
how did the British keep the Jewish in WW1?
-Balfour Declaration in November 1917
-which the British said ‘viewed with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people’
-to support this the British moved away from their position as concluded in the French agreement and now supported the idea of placing Palestine under direct British control after the war.
how did the British keep the Arabs in WW1?
-British officials in Cairo contacted Sharif Hussein informing him that if he gave assistance against the Ottomans he would support their claim for Arab independence.
-official Henry McMahon and Hussein letters confirmed this through 10 letter
why did the British need the Arabs to form an uprising?
-British were humiliated by defeats at Kut-el-Amara and Gallipoli
-uprising could cause a fraction inside the Ottoman Empire.
-Hussein agreed to revolt if the British supported demand for independence.
how did the Arabs revolt against the Ottomans?
-first tribal armies were led by Fasial and Abdullah and funded and organised by the British.
-first attack was in Mecca and was repulsed by the Turkish army and the British sent reinforcement from Egypt.
-by September the principal towns of the Hejaz with the exception of Medina were in Arab hands.
-under Fasial switched to Gurrilla warfare and succeeded in disrupting the Hejaz railway and cut off supply lines to Turkish forces.
-attacked telegraph lines and forced to send messages by wireless which the Brits intercepted
-1917 attacked and captured red Sea Port of Aqaba
-1918 Faisal liberated Syria.
when did the Ottomans surrender?
-30 Oct 1918
when was the Treaty of Sevres agreed?
-at the San Remo conference in April 1920.
what was agreed in the Treaty of Sevres?
-resolved French and British differences and recognised the validity of the Balfour Declaration.
what issues were there with the Treaty of Sevres?
-written in total disregard for the sentiments of the Turks as the victor Nations were so keen to pursue their own national interests.
-offered minorities in Turkish territory independence without providing them with the necessary tools.
-state lines drawn up in a completely arbitrary way and paid very little attention to the will of the local population.
-reaffirmed promises made to the Jewish community through Balfour Declaration and sowed the seeds for conflict between Palestinian Arabs and the Jews.
what was the Treaty of Lasanne?
what was the mandate system?
-advanced countries would administer lower countries affairs until they were ready to manage on their own.
what countries became French mandates?
-Syria
-Lebanon
-until 1944.
how did the French rule their mandates?
-did not ‘offer administrative advice and assistance’ like supposed to.
-instead adopted a policy of divide and rule.
-Lebanon was politically dominated by Maronite Christians which upset the masses as 70% of the population were Muslim.
-Syria was broken into Aleppo and Damascus with separate governors and two smaller districts for Alawis and Druze.
-political life was to be dominated by Sunni Muslims which isolated Druze and Alawites.
what did French Mandate rule cause?
-rise in nationalist movements
-Syria 1925 July revolt in Druze region succeeded at forcing the French out of the region and by Autumn was nationwide continued until Spring 1927
-gave rise to the National Bloc.
