British Policy + The Middle East 1908-1948 ● General British imperial aims
To protect + keep control of the Suez
Canal, vital for WW1 as they could
securely transport Indian troops.
Gain a hold of oil; 1908 - Anglo-Persian
oil company set up to exploit in 1914,
UK bought a controlling share.
● How the First World War affected
British aims.
Needed Arabs help to overthrow
Ottomons
Lawrence advised Britian to establish
Husseins son Faisal as King of Syria =
they agreed so Faisals army liberated
Damascus from the Turks.
1919 TofN; mandates; France given
Syria; so Britian betrayed promise -
1921 Syria expelled Faisal → Arabs
betrayed; British and French involved
for their colonial interests.
UK made Fasial king of Iraq + his
brother Abdullah the emir of
Transjordan → these countries helped
Britian as they ruled under Britians
mandates
● Reasons why Sykes-Picot was agreed
and its terms.
Agreed to secretly carve up Turkeys
Arab lands after the war → Britian
needed to protect Suez - saw Palestine
as a buffer zone to protect the Canal
Needed to maintain power + influence
as B+F had trading links in the ME
War in Europe not going well.
, ● McMahon-Hussein letters 1915
UK gov agreed to recognse Arab
indpeendence if the Sharif of mecca
launched an Arab revolt against
Ottoman Empire.
● Reasons for the Balfour Declaration
1917
Lord Balfour to Rothschild a british Jew
estbalishing Britians support for Jewish
homeland in Palestine - Jews regarded
this a promise
Wanted Jews in US to influence gov to
join the war
● Impact of the peace treaties on British
policy and attitudes to the British.
LofN → France =Syria + Lebanon;
Britian = Palestine, Transjordan + Iraq
Huseein felt humiliated
● How the mandates were governed.
French acted as a colonial power; press
was controlled + nationalist
demonstrations were suppressed.
French culture promoted
1945 Independance
Transjordan: 1923 but foreign policy +
troops to remain
Iraq:TofV made nationalists unhapppy,
Revolution of 1920 - 100,000 troops in
Iraq to crush uprising - arousned in
more conflict.
1921 compromise
1932 Full indpeendance but mae Faisal
the king allowed Britian to be tied to
Iraq.
To protect + keep control of the Suez
Canal, vital for WW1 as they could
securely transport Indian troops.
Gain a hold of oil; 1908 - Anglo-Persian
oil company set up to exploit in 1914,
UK bought a controlling share.
● How the First World War affected
British aims.
Needed Arabs help to overthrow
Ottomons
Lawrence advised Britian to establish
Husseins son Faisal as King of Syria =
they agreed so Faisals army liberated
Damascus from the Turks.
1919 TofN; mandates; France given
Syria; so Britian betrayed promise -
1921 Syria expelled Faisal → Arabs
betrayed; British and French involved
for their colonial interests.
UK made Fasial king of Iraq + his
brother Abdullah the emir of
Transjordan → these countries helped
Britian as they ruled under Britians
mandates
● Reasons why Sykes-Picot was agreed
and its terms.
Agreed to secretly carve up Turkeys
Arab lands after the war → Britian
needed to protect Suez - saw Palestine
as a buffer zone to protect the Canal
Needed to maintain power + influence
as B+F had trading links in the ME
War in Europe not going well.
, ● McMahon-Hussein letters 1915
UK gov agreed to recognse Arab
indpeendence if the Sharif of mecca
launched an Arab revolt against
Ottoman Empire.
● Reasons for the Balfour Declaration
1917
Lord Balfour to Rothschild a british Jew
estbalishing Britians support for Jewish
homeland in Palestine - Jews regarded
this a promise
Wanted Jews in US to influence gov to
join the war
● Impact of the peace treaties on British
policy and attitudes to the British.
LofN → France =Syria + Lebanon;
Britian = Palestine, Transjordan + Iraq
Huseein felt humiliated
● How the mandates were governed.
French acted as a colonial power; press
was controlled + nationalist
demonstrations were suppressed.
French culture promoted
1945 Independance
Transjordan: 1923 but foreign policy +
troops to remain
Iraq:TofV made nationalists unhapppy,
Revolution of 1920 - 100,000 troops in
Iraq to crush uprising - arousned in
more conflict.
1921 compromise
1932 Full indpeendance but mae Faisal
the king allowed Britian to be tied to
Iraq.
