Middle East - Policy, Administration and Nationalism Flashcards
Why did administrating Palestine prove a challenge for the British?
- Growing Jewish community and established Palestinians
- Pro-Jewish government in London and pro-Arab British men on the spot
Who was appointed High Commissioner of Palestine and when?
- Herbert Samuel in British civil government set up in 1920
Why were there problems over landholding in Palestine?
- Most Arabs were poor farmers renting land from absentee owners
- Jewish settlers were buying up land with the help of a Jewish National Fund which meant Arabs were evicted from their farms
What happened in 1929 in Palestine? What did this lead to?
- Palestinian Arab riots, over 200 deaths
- Led to an enquiry to curb Jewish policy acquiring land and another in 1931 but this fell through because of pro-Jewish sentiments in Britain and US
What and when was the Passfield White Paper? Who was Lord Passfield?
- Labour Secretary of State for the Colonies 1929-31
- Paper published 1930
- 1929 riots ultimately culminated in this policy which limited Jewish immigration into Palestine
From 1933 what began causing what in Palestine?
- Nazi persecution of Jews in Germany led to an increasing number of Jews immigrating to Palestine
What happened in 1936 in Palestine?
British sent 20,000 troops to Palestine to deal with Arab rioting and attacks on Jews
What and when was the Peel Report?
- 1937
- Recommended partition of Palestine into Arab and Jewish areas with British authority over Jerusalem
What was the response to the 1937 Peel Report?
- Opposed by Arabs who were in the majority therefore wanted one state which they could dominate
- Similar to Hindus in India
What was British policy in Palestine changed to in 1939?
- In fear of an Italian attack on Egypt, British called for a Palestinian state where Jews currently there have the right to a ‘national homeland’
- Jewish immigration restricted to 15,000/year for 5 years
- Planned to declare Palestine an independent state in 10 years with majority Arabs
Why was Palestine strategically important for the British?
It was a buffer from potential threats to the Suez Canal
How did the number of Jews living in Palestine increase from 1926-1936?
1926: 150,00
1936: 400,000
What and when was the Balfour Declaration?
- 1917
- Promised Jews a homeland (vs. Passfield Paper)
What happened in Egypt in 1919?
- A countrywide revolution in response to British exiling nationalist leader Zaghlul
- Civil disobedience
- Riots, demos, strikes
- Attacks on British military bases, civilians and personnel
- At least 800 Egyptians killed and 1600 wounded
What was the official colonial relation between the British and Egypt by 1914?
The British made Egypt an official protectorate in 1914 to prevent them from allying with Germany
Who did the British make King of Iraq and when? Why was this ideal?
- King Faisal I
- 1921
- Ideal compromise because he was a renowned Arab Muslim leader but also collaborative with the British
When was Egypt granted independence?
Following the Milner Report, made independent in February 1922
What is a caveat to Egyptian independence?
- Still a client state i.e. veiled protectorate
- British maintained control of Suez region and foreign affairs
- British troops remained to defend and occupy the Suez Canal Zone (until 1936)
What was the 1936 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty?
- British required to withdraw all troops
- Except those necessary to protect Suez Canal
- 10,000 troops remained
What Empire was Iraq/Mesopotamia a part of before the end of WWI?
Ottoman Empire
What is the earliest example of nationalism in Iraq as a result WWI?
- 1920
- Muslim demos in Baghdad against British rule led to full scale revolt
- Kurds in northern Iraq rebelled demanding independence
- British intervened militarily mainly with air power
- Cost Britain more to put down than in all her wartime operations in the middle east
- More than 400 British soldiers died
When was the Cairo Conference? What came out of it?
- 1921
- Despite limited Arab rep, British allowed for some local self-gov
- British maintained full control of military and foreign affairs
What was the 1922 Anglo-Iraqi Treaty?
- Confirmed King Faisal I as King of Iraq
Following the 1922 Anglo-Iraqi Treaty, what did the British continue?
- Appoint British advisers to senior government departments to ensure British control over local Iraqi affairs
- Control major military bases and had influence over Iraqi army which it trained
