Timeline 1914-1956

Question 1

1914

Answer 1

(World War I begins): Palestine, then part of the Ottoman Empire, becomes a battleground in World War I.

Question 2

1915-1916

Answer 2

(Hussein-McMahon Correspondence): The British promise Arab independence (including Palestine) in return for Arab support against the Ottoman Empire.

Question 3

1917

Answer 3

(Balfour Declaration): The British government, under Foreign Secretary Authur Balfour, issues a public statement supporting the establishment of a ‘national home for the Jewish people’ in Palestine.

Question 4

1918

Answer 4

(End of World War I): The Ottoman Empire collapses, and Britain takes control of Palestine under the League of Nations mandate.

Question 5

1920

Answer 5

The League of Nations grants Britain the mandate of Palestine, formalising British control. The Balfour Declaration is incorporated into the mandate.

Question 6

1921

Answer 6

Tensions between Jewish immigrants and Palestinian Arabs

Question 7

1929

Answer 7

A series of violent anti-Jewish riots erupt across Palestine. The violence is a result of mounting Arab opposition to Jewish immigration and land purchases.

Question 8

1936-1939

Answer 8

Palestinian Arabs launch a large-scale uprising against British rule and Jewish immigration. The revolt is suppressed by the British with help from Jewish paramilitary groups.

Question 9

1939

Answer 9

(White Paper): In response to the Arab revolt, the British government issues a policy restricting Jewish immigration to Palestine. This was seen as a betrayal by Zionist leaders.

Question 10

1941

Answer 10

World War II: Jewish paramilitary groups assist the British in fighting the Nazis. At the same time, increasing Nazi persecution of Jews in Europe leads to growing pressure for Jewish refugees to find a safe haven.

Question 11

1942

Answer 11

The Zionist Congress in New York calls for the establishment of a Jewish Commonwealth in Palestine, rejecting the 1939 British White Paper and advocating for unrestricted Jewish immigration.

Question 12

1945

Answer 12

The Holocaust results in the deaths of six million Jews, intensifying international support for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine. Britain attempts to balance conflicting interests by proposing a restricted immigration policy while aiming to create a shared Arab-Jewish state. This is rejected by both Zionist and Arab leaders.

Question 13

1948

Answer 13

Declaration of independence by David Ben Gurion (May 14th, 1948)

Question 14

1948

Answer 14

(May 15th, 1948): The Arab-Israeli War (also known as the War of Independence or the Nakba for Palestinians) begins as neighboring Arab states (Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon) invade Israel. The war lasts until March 1949, with Israel emerging victorious and expanding its territory beyond the borders allocated by the UN Partition Plan. Over 700,000 Palestinian Arabs are displaced, many fleeing or being expelled from the newly established state.

Question 15

1949

Answer 15

After a year of fighting, Israel and its Arab neighbors sign armistice agreements in 1949. These agreements establish the Green Line, marking the borders of Israel as they stood after the 1948 war, with Jordan controlling the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Egypt controlling the Gaza Strip, and Israel gaining territory beyond the original UN partition borders.

Question 16

1956

Answer 16

(Suez Crisis): The second Arab-Israeli War (the Suez Crisis) erupts. Israel, in coordination with Britain and France, invades Egypt after Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalises the Suez Canal. The invasion is condemned internationally, and under pressure from the United States and the Soviet Union, the invading forces withdraw. The event establishes Israel as a military power in the region but also signals the onset of Cold War dynamics shaping the Middle East.