WARTIME PLANS FOR THE PARTITION OF THE MIDDLE EAST

WARTIME PLANS FOR THE PARTITION OF THE MIDDLE EAST

·         Between july 1915 and amrch 1916 british high comisionerfor Egypt sir henry mcmahon and the sharif of mecca-hussein ibn ali of the Hashemite family-negotiated terms for arab revolt against ottoman rule.

·         In exchange for the revolt sharif Hussein siought huge lands stretching across middle east. With the exception of a few strategic and profitable points the british accepted.

·         Sharif Hussein initiated the revolt of t.e. Lawrence in fuly 1916.

·         British and French authors- sir mark sykes and Charles francois georges Picot established an agreement for dividing up land set aside from agreement with sheriff Hussein. Approved on 2/4/1916. Gained Russian support in march 1916. Russian territory demands were estern Anatolia.  Palestince would be internationalized to avoid disagreements between france Britain and Russia.

·         11/02/1917 british government gives formal support of Zionists movement.  The balfour declaration , written by forein minister james Balfour to lord Rothschild, confirmed britains support for the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the jewish people.

·         The balfour declaration contradicted both the pledge to sharif Hussein and the sykes-picot agreement, and further complicated post war settlements at Versailles.

·         Ottoman empire falls in September 1918 and Britain is left with sole possession of arab middle east.

THE POST WAR SETTLEMENT 1919-22

·         2 features of the post war settlement are apparent-weak bargaining position of the arab delegates at Versailles and the duplicity of the great powers.

EGYPT AND THE WAFD

·         Egyptians sought sovereignty  and had set up their a proto-parliament. British occupation came as a result og financial and political crises starting with agyptian bankruptcy in 1876 and ending with a military led revolt against European control and khedive tawfiq believed by many Egyptians to be himself under excessive European control.

·         Egypt separated from ottoman empire in 1914 following ottoman entry into ww1 on Germanys side. Egypt become procterate of Britain.

·         The revolution of 1919 rendered Egypt ungovernable and british were forced to arrange for him to address the delegates at Versailles.

·         Woodrow Wilson issues statement recognizing Egypt as procterate of Britain and Egyptians feel that colonized people could change imperial politics only through domestic disorder.

·         Treaty signed in 1922 ends procterate.

THE HASHEMITE ARAB KINGDOM

·         Amir faisal-crowned king of Syria.

·         Faisal signs agreement with Zionist movement in January 1919.

·         Learns of sykes-picot treaty in 1918 after bolshevics publish the treaties at the height of the arab revolt.

·         Faisal addresses great powers in veresailles in 1919 seeking to unite all arab lands.

THE KING-CRANE COMMISION

·         Member of commission are college professor henry king and Chicago businessman Charles crane.

·         Arrived on june 10 1919, were to speak with representatives of the local people and then report back their aspirations.

·         In august 1919 the commission returned to Istanbul to prepare a draft and sent to paris fror analysis by the great powers including usa.