Lesson 2 - The Allies projects to partition the Ottoman Empire -continued Flashcards

Question

What was not clear in the agreements?

Answer 1

How far south should coastal exclusion extend, Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and Damascus forming north-south line roughly parallel to coast? Did that mean that Palestine shouldbe Arab, or as Zionists would later argue, that Palestine was excluded from independent Arab kingdom promised to Hussein? how to reconcile, at least in short term, this independent Arab kingdom with partition plan of Middle East agreed between France and Britain in London between end of Nov.1915 and Jan. 1916?

Answer 2

France would control Lebanon, Syria, and parts of southern Turkey. Britain would control Iraq, Jordan, and parts of Palestine. Palestine was to be placed under international administration (due to its religious significance)

Answer 3

1) It was not treaty; 2) It was not made public (there are doubts whether even Hussein was aware of it); 3) It was not certain at all that Allies would be in position to act on Agreement.

Answer 4

1)vague promises that had been made to Italy under 1915 secret Treaty of London to have privileged access to harbour of Haifa, say in administration of Palestine and its share of Arabian peninsula - this also went against Greek aspirations. 2) What was being negotiated between McMahon and Hussein; 3) Above all the wishes of Arabs and other people living in region.

Answer 5

1) hey argued that Britain owed to control whole of Palestine to secure Suez Canal; They believed that London, not Paris, should also get Mosul 2) To appease France, they argued she could be compensated with protectorate over Kurdish and Armenian regions of Ottoman Empire. 3) In France, “Parti colonial” argued that Paris should not only hold on to what she hadgained under Sykes-Picot but also that Syria should be understood as Greater Syria, stretching as far south as Sinai.

Answer 6

on 23 Nov. 1917, Izvestia and Pravda published the text of the agreement. In was then reprinted in the Manchester Guardian on 26 Nov. Naturally, the revelation embarrassed Paris and London and led to deep resentment among Arabs towards two western powers.

Answer 7

Due to the progression of the British troops of 1) General Allenby through Palestine and then Syria 2|) General Maude, then replaced by General Marshall, through Mesopotamia; It meant that Britain was now in control of territories supposed to have international status or be French.

Answer 8

It was communication between Lord Balfour, Foreign secretary and Lord Rothschild - saying that Britain agreed to the creation of a homeland for the Jews in Palestine.

Answer 9

It said that is should be clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine

Answer 10

He feared that the Zionist cause would threaten the status of Jews in their home countries. Additionally, for Montagu, by considering Jews as people and not as religious community, sponsors of Declaration were guilty of anti-Semitism and playing into the hands of anti-Semites.

Answer 11

David Lloyd George said that although it was an agreed policy -it was launched particularly in 1917 to get the support for the Entente the aid of Jewish financial interests.

Answer 12

1) The strategic benefits of having Jewish settlement in Palestine: being surrounded by predominantly Muslim populations and dependent on British goodwill and support, it would help to safeguard the Suez canal; 2) Although US had joined war on side of Entente in April 1917, there was much opposition Thus it was hoped that Declaration would push Jewish community to put pressure on Woodrow Wilson to intensify US war effort. Two of Woodrow Wilson's advisors were also zionists. 3) To keep Russia fighting: since Lenin’s Bolshevik Party included several pro-Zionists, it was hoped that Declaration would push them to convince Russian leaders to remain in war; 4) The desire of the government to have access to Jewish financial resources; 5) Fear that Germany “would capture the Zionist movement”; 6) Balfour's own “Christian Zionist” beliefs; 7) The lobbying of Chaim Weizmann; 8) sympathy with worldwide plight of Jews; 9) It was part of propagandist strategy to get as much support as possible around the world. In other words, in time of war, it was worth a try.

Answer 13

1) Britain was deciding alone fate of Palestine, territory that was supposed to be under international administration according to Sykes-Picot. Therefore, London acted as if she already had a mandate over Palestine. 2) If it firmly established Zionism, it destabilised non-Zionist populations (Jewish, Christian, or Muslim) in the region; 3) The meaning of “a National Home for the Jewish people” was (and remains) unclear and those who worked on Balfour Declaration did not clarify it. 4) The extent of British commitment to Zionists: indeed what did “view with favour” and “use their best endeavours” mean?

Answer 14

Already in 1918, Lord Curzon raised objections to creation of Jewish state. As for General Allenby, who had originally been supportive of Zionist cause, by 1919 he began to question whether it would not destabilise region and whether that was not too great a risk.

Answer 15

When conflict ended and time came to negotiate peace treaties, London and Paris (Russia having renounced any territorial claim following October Revolution) found themselves under pressure to fulfil sometimes conflicting promises.