1. History 171ME The United States and the Middle East 1900 to the Present

2. The United States and the Breakup of the Ottoman Empire

3. Situation in Middle East around 1900

4. At start of 20th century—US govt had no real interest in political situation in Middle East Still mostly heeding President George Washington’s warning against involvement in Old World politics George Washington’s Farewell Address, 1796

5. 19th century—US govt mainly concerned with protecting lives and property of Americans living and traveling in ME, especially Protestant missionaries Sarah and Eli Smith Members of Syrian Protestant College (later American University of Beirut)

6. Main causes of World War I: Decline of Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires

9. Main causes of World War I: Decline of Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires

10. Main causes of World War I: Unstable and dangerous alliance system Germany, Austria, & Italy vs. Britain, France, & Russia (& Serbia)

11. August 1914—Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand in Sarajevo ignited World War I

12. Triggering of alliances: Austria and Germany vs. Serbia, Russia, France, and Britain

13. Late 1914—Turkey entered war on side of Germany and Austria

14. Devastating impact of World War I on Middle East

15. April 1917—US declaration of war

16. US missionary relief efforts

17. Three issues drawing US into Middle East during WWI: 1) Armenian issue 2) Zionist issue 3) Imperialist issue

18. Armenian Issue During WWI some Armenian activists (esp. Dashnaks) allied with Russia against Turkey Dashnaks

19. Armenian Issue To prevent collaboration with Russia, Turkey rounded up Armenians and deported them from eastern Turkey to interior; hundreds of thousands of Armenians died

20. Armenian Issue American missionary groups, in ME and US, played key role in dispensing aid and raising money for relief

21. Zionist Issue For centuries, Palestine had been under control of Ottoman Empire

22. Zionist Issue Late 19th century—European Jews began settling in Palestine in pursuit of Zionist program Theodor Herzl

23. In Hussein-McMahon correspondence of 1915, Britain implied that Palestine would be part of Arab state after war During WWI Britain gave conflicting pledges to Arabs and Zionists: Henry McMahon Sharif Hussein of Mecca

25. 1916—Sherif Hussein launched “Arab Revolt” against Ottoman Empire During WWI Britain gave conflicting pledges to Arabs and Zionists:

26. 1917—Arab forces led by Faisal, Hussein’s son, captured Damascus, Syria During WWI Britain gave conflicting pledges to Arabs and Zionists:

27. 1917—Arab forces led by Faisal, Hussein’s son, captured Damascus, Syria During WWI Britain gave conflicting pledges to Arabs and Zionists:

28. Dispute over Palestine’s status in Hussein-McMahon correspondence

29. Arthur Balfour Chaim Weizmann 1917—Chaim Weizmann elicited letter from Arthur Balfour pledging British support for “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine (Balfour Declaration) During WWI Britain gave conflicting pledges to Arabs and Zionists:

30. Balfour Declaration, 1917 During WWI Britain gave conflicting pledges to Arabs and Zionists:

31. Balfour Declaration, 1917 “His Majesty’s government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.”

32. Chaim Weizmann

33. Louis Brandeis

34. Woodrow Wilson Louis Brandeis

35. Woodrow Wilson Louis Brandeis Influenced by Louis Brandeis, Woodrow Wilson endorsed Balfour Declaration

36. Imperialist Issue November 1917—Bolsheviks seized power in Russia

37. Late 1917—Bolsheviks exposed Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 Imperialist Issue Mark SykesFrançois Georges- Picot

38. Late 1917—Bolsheviks exposed Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 Imperialist Issue Mark SykesFrançois Georges- Picot

39. January 1918—Wilson issued Fourteen Points; Point Twelve called for breakup of Ottoman Empire and “autonomous development” of Empire’s non- Turkish components Imperialist Issue

40. November 1918—Germany, Austria, and Turkey were defeated With dissolution of Ottoman Empire, US now faced same three issues as during war: imperialist issue, Zionist issue, and Armenian issue

46. Henry King 1919—Wilson sent King-Crane Commission to Middle East Charles Crane Imperialism and Zionism

47. Henry King King-Crane Commission concluded that 1) Syrian population was adamantly opposed to French mandate in Syria Charles Crane Imperialism and Zionism

48. Henry King King-Crane Commission concluded that 1) Syrian population was adamantly opposed to French mandate in Syria and 2) Zionist program should not be implemented Charles Crane Imperialism and Zionism

49. But Wilson was in no position to heed King- Crane recommendations

50. 1919—US Senate debated Treaty of Versailles

51. Article X

52. Joseph M. McCormick

54. 1919-1920—US Senate rejected Treaty of Versailles

55. 1920—At Treaty of San Remo France got single mandate over Syria and Lebanon; Britain got separate mandates over Iraq, Transjordan, and Palestine

56. Sykes-Picot Agreement, 1916

57. Mandate System

58. 1920—Faisal’s brief reign

59. 1919-1920—Britain and France urged US to assume mandates over Constantinople and Turkish Straits and over newly proclaimed Armenian republic Armenian issue

60. Neither idea came to fruition Armenian issue

61. 1920—Turkish forces crushed Armenian republic, whose territory was reabsorbed by Turkey and Soviet Union

62. 1923—In Treaty of Lausanne, Turkey, led by Mustafa Kemal, regained sovereignty over Straits Mustafa Kamal

63. 1922—British and French mandates formally established in Middle East Faisal Abdullah