Britain in the Middle East Depth Study
Britain in WW1
Aims
Gain oil supplies and economic control
Protect the Suez Canal which had been built by Britain and France in Egypt linking Britain's Asian Empire and trade routes to Europe to avoid going around the Cape of Good Hope
Remove the influence of the Ottoman Empire - expanding Imperialist influence, expanding the British Empire
Actions
1915 McMahon Hussein Letters, encouraged the Arabs to rise up against their Ottoman Oppressors who were supporting Germany in WW1 in return for independence and the supposed support of the British
1916 Sykes Picot Agreement, the British and French carved up the Middle East between themselves, going against promises in the MH letters, later used to create Mandate boundaries
1917 Balfour Declaration, British support for a Jewish state in Palestine (increased Jewish immigration before this due to increased Jewish persecution in Europe), however said that it still needed to support other existing peoples
1916 Arab Revolt, led by Faisal the son of the Sharif of Mecca encouraged by independence against the Ottoman Empire ultimately leading to their downfall.
Britain and Palestine between World Wars
1919 - Treaty of Versailles granted Britain the Mandate of Palestine which had been 'promised' to the Arabs.
Supported Jewish immigration and tried to appease the Arabs at the same time
Initially favoured the Zionists as they had much more Western sympathy - which was disliked by the Arabs who already lived there
Riots began in the 1920s in Haifa and Jerusalem with Arabs and Jews attacking the other group - began by Arabs but Jews became defensive
Arab Revolt - 1936-39 - Began as a strike as Arab members of the government resigned and led a national strike, however, many were fired and were replaced with Jews reducing their overall influence in the government and system of Palestine.
During the Arab Revolt the British trained the Haganah and Stern Gang into an organised group that aided in the British suppression of the Palestinians and aided them in their victory in the 1948 AI war.
Increased Jewish immigration towards the end of this period as Jews began leaving facist Germany and Italy and came to Palestine as a shelter which the British supported
Palestine in WW2
US declared support for a Jewish state in Palestine - Biltmore declaration 1942
British needed to get the Arabs on side as they knew that the Zionists would NEVER support the Axis powers however, they feared that the Arabs could move towards Germany
White Paper 1939 - limited Jewish immigration despite the Holocaust (unpopular) and claimed to promote an Arab authority in Palestine
Not much happened within the nation
Jewish soldiers fought with the Allied powers against Germany gaining military and strategic training and advantages in the coming war
Palestine after WW2
1945 Jewish Agency agreed on a policy of active opposition to British rule who were still promoting the Arab cause rather than the Zionists
Stern Gang and Irgun began to terrorise the British and force them to leave the Mandate
1946 Hanging of British soldiers by the Irgun circulated in the British newspapers which caused great domestic disturbance as many in Britain were against British involvement after another World War
Rejection of the Exodus immigrant ship was a public disaster as it was documented and many sympathised with the Jewish cause
Bombing of the King David Hotel in 1946 by the Irgun killed 81 people, 11 of which were Jews - main British military HQ
Zionist forces aided illegal immigration in any way they could
November 1947 the UN voted on a partition plan which would give the Jews 55% of the land of the mandate of Palestine - despite not being the majority population
Arabs refused to accept this and the Jews did - very happy.
Britain left Palestine May 1948 and soon after the Zionists began Plan D and forcibly removed Palestinians from their own country
Deir Yassin Massacre 1947 - 200 people killed led by the Irgun, Z claimed they didn't know and then dissolved the Irgun which then merged into the IDF
Britain in Egypt up to 1948
Not technically a Mandate but had strict control over it and was basically run by the High Commissioner in Palestine
The king was a British client ruler
Wafd party created after the 1919 Revolution after demonstrations against British troops
Allowed Britain to protect its interests of the Suez Canal
Britain in Transjordan up to 1948
1936 granted 'independence' as Britain had several military bases and control of the Suez Canal it was internationally recognised as a country in its own right
Taken as a mandate in 1919 under the ToV
Abdullah made King - put in place as a client ruler
First mandate to gain independence in 1923 - lack of natural resources, small population and submission to British rule
1948 renamed the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Abdullah was finally crowned king - although he was never from the area
Britain in Iraq up to 1948
Faisal made King of Iraq in 1921 after being deposed of the Syrian throne by the French (with the permission of Britain)
Anglo-Persian oil company took over the oil fields
Britain had a 47.5% share in the company and exploited oil resources
Finally gained independence in 1956 with Britain still having control of military bases and oil supplies
1923 Created an Arab Legion combining the police and reserve forces to protect against Wahhabi attacks
1928 new treaty relaxed British control whilst Britain controlled finance and foreign policy
1946 gained full independence and removal of mandate status in exchange for British military facilities - Britain paid financial subsidy and supported the Arab Legion
Uprising in 1920 crushed by British troops however created more long term opposition
1932 granted 'independence' and allowed to join the League of Nations with Britain in control of foreign policy and common interests
1941 Iraqi parliamentary leaders refused to back Britain against Germany in WW2 - landed a force in Iraq and overthrew the government replaced with pro British
1956 Hashemites overthrown not legitimate to Iraq
WW1 British deposed a pro-Turkish ruler and the capital was flooded with troops during the war - seized crops and forced Egyptians to work for them
Treaty of Versailles, delegation sent but on arrival were told that the US had accepted British rule of Egypt - forced to negotiate with Britain rather than as a post war settlement
1922 declared Egypt as an independent state as they feared further rebellion from the Egyptians
1922 - 36 Wafd party constrained by the King who wanted to rule without parliament
Wafd party aimed for complete independence
British controlled areas of defense and foreign policy and restricted the Wafd party
1936 - Deadlock was broken created by Italy invading Ethiopia and Mussolini appealed to Egyptians to move towards independence
King Fuad died and was replaced by Farouk his son
British agreed to a new treaty allowing Egypt's independence and admission into the League of Nations in return for British military bases