GCSE History Notes - Middle East 1919-2012
Middle East: Conflict, Crisis and Chance, 1917-2012
Build up of tension in Palestine 1917-46:
Hussein-McMahon Correspondence (1915)
● Motivations
○ Ottomans were allies with germany who were enemies of Britain in WW1
○ Britain was under military pressure during WW1 and therefore needed Arabs
assistance to rise against the Ottoman Empire creating a distraction in the Middle
East
● Key details
○ Made in 1915 with the Arabs
○ Arabs agreed to help British defeat the Ottomans in return for support for Arab
independence after the war
○ Arabs though they would get everything from Turkey, Syria, Palestine and Iraq
○ By 1918 the Ottoman Empire had collapsed
● Consequences
○ British troops occupying Jerusalem were intending go stay
○ The Arabs felt betrayed by Britain dealing with others at the same time and not
keeping the other side of the bargain
Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916)
● Motives
○ Empire grabbing, as well as Britain and France wanting access to oil supplies in the
Middle East and their control of Suez Canal
● Key Details
○ Made with France in 1916, both countries secretly arranged to divide up the Ottoman
Empire
○ Palestine would fall under international control
○ Sir Mark Sykes and Francois Georges-Picot arranged the division of key territories
○ This was done without the thought of Arab independence
● Consequences
○ Sykes-Picot agreement was supposed to be secret but was made public when the
Bolsheviks opened up the Tsarist archives in 1917
○ It created continued unrest between Arabs and the British which still goes on today
over 100 years later
○ Isis does not recognise it and declared it is all one country which causes the conflict
Balfour Declaration (November 1917)
● Motives
○ Perhaps sympathetic with Zionist aims
○ Lord Balfour hoped that appeasing the Jewish population would result in greater
American participation in the war effort (lots of anti British propaganda in America at
this time)
● Key Detail
○ November 1917, British troops closed in on Jerusalem, the British Foreign Secretary
Lord Balfour wrote a letter to the leader of the Jewish community, Lord Rothschild
○ It said the British government would look favourably on Zionist plans to establish a
home in Palestine
○ However this was done with little interest to the Arabs living in Palestine
, GCSE History Notes - Middle East 1919-2012
● Consequences
○ It gave sufficient support to the Zionist community
○ Number of Jewish immigrants increased in Palestine and it became clear that British
soldiers were favouring the Jews during the 20s and 30s. This angered the Arabs
even more
British Mandate 1923 to 1945
● 1923 the League of Nations formally gave Britain the Mandate to rule over Palestine with the
terms;
○ Britain had to protect the rights of Palestinian Arabs, establish a homeland for the
Jews, and prepare the country for independence
● This angered Arabs because they had just switched one ruler for another
○ They were also furious they had not been granted independence immediately
○ They also hadn’t been consulted about the use of Palestine as a Jewish homeland
● For the Jews the mandate was a Zionist dream comes true
○ Palestine would now become a homeland for the Jews
○ Although there were on 84,000 Jewish in Palestine at this time (11%) they were
organised and were quickly attracting settlers
Jewish Immigration
Immigration to Palestine 1920s and 30s
● 84,000 Jews in Palestine in 1922 (11% of total population)
● Arab Agency was setup to encourage immigration into Palestine, by helping new arrivals by
land and organise schools
● By 1931, Jewish numbers had almost doubled to 175,000 (17% of pop.)
● From 1933 to 1935, another 135,000 arrived, mostly German Jews fleeing Nazism
● By 1936 more that ¼ of Palestine's population was Jewish
Immigration in Palestine after WW2
● Early 1939, British limited number of Jewish immigrants allowed into Palestine to 10,000 for 5
years
● US Zionism, Truman agreed- USA admitted 150,000 Jewish refugees immediately after the
war
● Truman kept placing pressure on Britain by applying economic pressure which is one reason
for the eventual give up of Mandate
● May 1945, End of WW2, Britain allows just 1,500 Jews a month because he believed it would
lower the civil war and Britain needed oil from Arabs
● April 1946, Britain refuses to allow 100,000 Jewish refugees into Palestine
Clashes between Jews and Palestinians
Palestinian Arabs felt threatened by the scale of Jewish immigration and land purchases. They also
felt cheated out of independence by the British
Arab-Jewish riots:
1. 1921, there was a riot in Jaffa, a major seaport where the majority of Jews migrated through,
between rival Jewish groups. The fighting spread into Arab Jaffa and led to Arab attacks on
Jews and their property. After two days, 200 Jews and 120 Arabs were dead or wounded.
2. In August 1929 violence erupted again over Holy Sites in Jerusalem and violence spread in
and outside the city of Jerusalem. Arab crowds attacked Jews.
a. The 4 days of bloody riots left 133 Jews and 116 Arabs dead, Arabs killed mostly by
British police, while trying to stop the anti-Jewish violence.
, GCSE History Notes - Middle East 1919-2012
Arab organization capabilities:
1. Many Palestinian peasants, who made up 90% of the Palestinian Arab population, became
landless and impoverished.
2. Arab leadership, in contrast to Jewish, was very divided.
3. Therefore the Arab High Committee was formed in 1936. They called for a general strike of
Arabs and while it was widespread, it was unsuccessful.
4. It resulted in a three year conflict civil war where thousands died
Arab strike 1936
● 7 years later a full-blown Arab protest began
○ They demanded and end to Jewish immigration, end of land sales and a national
government of their own
● They refused to work or pay taxes and boycotted all trade with the British
● At the same time roads, railways and oil pipes were attacks
The Peel Commission
● The Arab discontent alarmed the British who carried out an investigation to investigate the
cause of unrest
● William Peel led the commision over 6 months interviewing over 100 witnesses and published
a 400 page report in response (July 1937)
● He said the mandate could never succeed. The situation had reached a deadlock and that the
only solution was to end the Mandate and partition the country between the two communities
● In the meantime the Jewish immigration to what would be Arab territory should stop
● The commission recommended freezing immigration at 12,000 per year for 5 years and that
a partition the the land be developed
● The decision of the Commision was to partition Palestine
○ The northern half would become a Jewish homeland and the southern half an
independent Palestinian Arab state
○ Jerusalem would be ruled by the British to prevent conflict
Revolt and Al-Bassa Massacre (response to Peel)
Arab Reaction:
● The Arabs reacted violently and this time the revolt targeted British and Jews
● Helped by 15,00 men from Haganah, 50,000 British troops used harsh tactics
○ Rebel houses were destroyed and curfew put in place
○ Thousands of Arabs were arrested and held without trial. Many were beaten or
tortured.
○ Weapons were also confiscated.
● By 1939, when the revolt had ended, about 250 British troops and 300 Jews had been killed.
On the Arab side 5,000 had been killed and 15,000 wounded.
○ Over 10% of the Arab male population had been killed, wounded, imprisoned or
exiled
Al-Bassa Massacre:
● A brutal massacre of Palestinian Arabs. Took place in Al-Bassa village
● 6th of September 1938, four British soldiers were killed when they drove over a landmine
● In retaliation the British sprayed the village with machine gun fire for 20 mins then burnt it to
the ground
● The soldiers then rounded up 20 Arabs, some tried to run and were shot. The remainder were
round into a bus and forced to drive over a landmine. They all died. The villagers were then
forced to dig a pit and throw in the bodies
Significance:
● Arabs- left in a very week position. Also had been targeted and would have been furious
● Jews- some optimistic about gaining independence though the violence and tensions was
depressing
Middle East: Conflict, Crisis and Chance, 1917-2012
Build up of tension in Palestine 1917-46:
Hussein-McMahon Correspondence (1915)
● Motivations
○ Ottomans were allies with germany who were enemies of Britain in WW1
○ Britain was under military pressure during WW1 and therefore needed Arabs
assistance to rise against the Ottoman Empire creating a distraction in the Middle
East
● Key details
○ Made in 1915 with the Arabs
○ Arabs agreed to help British defeat the Ottomans in return for support for Arab
independence after the war
○ Arabs though they would get everything from Turkey, Syria, Palestine and Iraq
○ By 1918 the Ottoman Empire had collapsed
● Consequences
○ British troops occupying Jerusalem were intending go stay
○ The Arabs felt betrayed by Britain dealing with others at the same time and not
keeping the other side of the bargain
Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916)
● Motives
○ Empire grabbing, as well as Britain and France wanting access to oil supplies in the
Middle East and their control of Suez Canal
● Key Details
○ Made with France in 1916, both countries secretly arranged to divide up the Ottoman
Empire
○ Palestine would fall under international control
○ Sir Mark Sykes and Francois Georges-Picot arranged the division of key territories
○ This was done without the thought of Arab independence
● Consequences
○ Sykes-Picot agreement was supposed to be secret but was made public when the
Bolsheviks opened up the Tsarist archives in 1917
○ It created continued unrest between Arabs and the British which still goes on today
over 100 years later
○ Isis does not recognise it and declared it is all one country which causes the conflict
Balfour Declaration (November 1917)
● Motives
○ Perhaps sympathetic with Zionist aims
○ Lord Balfour hoped that appeasing the Jewish population would result in greater
American participation in the war effort (lots of anti British propaganda in America at
this time)
● Key Detail
○ November 1917, British troops closed in on Jerusalem, the British Foreign Secretary
Lord Balfour wrote a letter to the leader of the Jewish community, Lord Rothschild
○ It said the British government would look favourably on Zionist plans to establish a
home in Palestine
○ However this was done with little interest to the Arabs living in Palestine
, GCSE History Notes - Middle East 1919-2012
● Consequences
○ It gave sufficient support to the Zionist community
○ Number of Jewish immigrants increased in Palestine and it became clear that British
soldiers were favouring the Jews during the 20s and 30s. This angered the Arabs
even more
British Mandate 1923 to 1945
● 1923 the League of Nations formally gave Britain the Mandate to rule over Palestine with the
terms;
○ Britain had to protect the rights of Palestinian Arabs, establish a homeland for the
Jews, and prepare the country for independence
● This angered Arabs because they had just switched one ruler for another
○ They were also furious they had not been granted independence immediately
○ They also hadn’t been consulted about the use of Palestine as a Jewish homeland
● For the Jews the mandate was a Zionist dream comes true
○ Palestine would now become a homeland for the Jews
○ Although there were on 84,000 Jewish in Palestine at this time (11%) they were
organised and were quickly attracting settlers
Jewish Immigration
Immigration to Palestine 1920s and 30s
● 84,000 Jews in Palestine in 1922 (11% of total population)
● Arab Agency was setup to encourage immigration into Palestine, by helping new arrivals by
land and organise schools
● By 1931, Jewish numbers had almost doubled to 175,000 (17% of pop.)
● From 1933 to 1935, another 135,000 arrived, mostly German Jews fleeing Nazism
● By 1936 more that ¼ of Palestine's population was Jewish
Immigration in Palestine after WW2
● Early 1939, British limited number of Jewish immigrants allowed into Palestine to 10,000 for 5
years
● US Zionism, Truman agreed- USA admitted 150,000 Jewish refugees immediately after the
war
● Truman kept placing pressure on Britain by applying economic pressure which is one reason
for the eventual give up of Mandate
● May 1945, End of WW2, Britain allows just 1,500 Jews a month because he believed it would
lower the civil war and Britain needed oil from Arabs
● April 1946, Britain refuses to allow 100,000 Jewish refugees into Palestine
Clashes between Jews and Palestinians
Palestinian Arabs felt threatened by the scale of Jewish immigration and land purchases. They also
felt cheated out of independence by the British
Arab-Jewish riots:
1. 1921, there was a riot in Jaffa, a major seaport where the majority of Jews migrated through,
between rival Jewish groups. The fighting spread into Arab Jaffa and led to Arab attacks on
Jews and their property. After two days, 200 Jews and 120 Arabs were dead or wounded.
2. In August 1929 violence erupted again over Holy Sites in Jerusalem and violence spread in
and outside the city of Jerusalem. Arab crowds attacked Jews.
a. The 4 days of bloody riots left 133 Jews and 116 Arabs dead, Arabs killed mostly by
British police, while trying to stop the anti-Jewish violence.
, GCSE History Notes - Middle East 1919-2012
Arab organization capabilities:
1. Many Palestinian peasants, who made up 90% of the Palestinian Arab population, became
landless and impoverished.
2. Arab leadership, in contrast to Jewish, was very divided.
3. Therefore the Arab High Committee was formed in 1936. They called for a general strike of
Arabs and while it was widespread, it was unsuccessful.
4. It resulted in a three year conflict civil war where thousands died
Arab strike 1936
● 7 years later a full-blown Arab protest began
○ They demanded and end to Jewish immigration, end of land sales and a national
government of their own
● They refused to work or pay taxes and boycotted all trade with the British
● At the same time roads, railways and oil pipes were attacks
The Peel Commission
● The Arab discontent alarmed the British who carried out an investigation to investigate the
cause of unrest
● William Peel led the commision over 6 months interviewing over 100 witnesses and published
a 400 page report in response (July 1937)
● He said the mandate could never succeed. The situation had reached a deadlock and that the
only solution was to end the Mandate and partition the country between the two communities
● In the meantime the Jewish immigration to what would be Arab territory should stop
● The commission recommended freezing immigration at 12,000 per year for 5 years and that
a partition the the land be developed
● The decision of the Commision was to partition Palestine
○ The northern half would become a Jewish homeland and the southern half an
independent Palestinian Arab state
○ Jerusalem would be ruled by the British to prevent conflict
Revolt and Al-Bassa Massacre (response to Peel)
Arab Reaction:
● The Arabs reacted violently and this time the revolt targeted British and Jews
● Helped by 15,00 men from Haganah, 50,000 British troops used harsh tactics
○ Rebel houses were destroyed and curfew put in place
○ Thousands of Arabs were arrested and held without trial. Many were beaten or
tortured.
○ Weapons were also confiscated.
● By 1939, when the revolt had ended, about 250 British troops and 300 Jews had been killed.
On the Arab side 5,000 had been killed and 15,000 wounded.
○ Over 10% of the Arab male population had been killed, wounded, imprisoned or
exiled
Al-Bassa Massacre:
● A brutal massacre of Palestinian Arabs. Took place in Al-Bassa village
● 6th of September 1938, four British soldiers were killed when they drove over a landmine
● In retaliation the British sprayed the village with machine gun fire for 20 mins then burnt it to
the ground
● The soldiers then rounded up 20 Arabs, some tried to run and were shot. The remainder were
round into a bus and forced to drive over a landmine. They all died. The villagers were then
forced to dig a pit and throw in the bodies
Significance:
● Arabs- left in a very week position. Also had been targeted and would have been furious
● Jews- some optimistic about gaining independence though the violence and tensions was
depressing
