Geopolitics of the Middle East Sabina Anselmo Vieira Bohumil Doboš

Course structure Middle East, North Africa, Sahel 21st century, primarily post-Arab Spring Mix lectures/seminars

Course requirements Seminar attendance (10%) Presentation (20%) Active participation (20%) Final essay (50%)

Course requirements Readings in Moodle Presentations – 1-2 persons per 1 topic Essay – 3,000-3,500 words, deadline 1st June

Syllabus No. Topic Lecture/seminar Taught by Presentation topics 1. Opening – historical overview, ME in the 20th century // Current questions, problems and challenges L Both   2. Israel and the Arab World, The Middle East Peace Process SV 3. Modern geopolitical conflict for regional supremacy 4. Seminar: Sunna-Shia S BD 1)    Competition in Yemen 2)    Competition in Iraq 3)    Iran, Saudi Arabia, and nuclear weapons 5. The Role of Religion in the ME politics (Confession, Identity, and Ethnicity) 6. Seminar: role of religion 1)    Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood after the Arab Spring 2)    Ennahda movement after the Arab Spring 3)    Role of Islam in contemporary Turkey 7. Demise of State in the ME in Intl Theory 8. Social conflicts and other sources of tension 9. Seminar: Social Tension 1)    Demography and social issues in Iran 2)    Social issues in oil/non-oil producing countries 3)    Khaat in Yemen 10. Specifics of Northern Africa 11. Seminar: North Africa after the Arab Spring 1)    Tuareg movement and post-Arab Spring Northern Africa 2)    Foreign intervention and proxy groups in Libya 3)    Importance of Nile river disputes for Egypt 12. Guest  L

Middle East in the 20th Century

The „Sick Man“ on Bosphorus The decline of the Ottoman Empire An effort to balance ambitions of European states By 1912 coastal North Africa is lost (Algeria and Libya colonies, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt „protectorates“) By 1913 European part of the Empire is lost

WW I and the rise of national movements Ottoman Empire - choosing the wrong side to prevent partition Sykes-Picot Agreement Arab Revolt of 1916 Sionist enterprise and the Balfour Declaration

Mandate system Mandates of the League of Nations FR: Lebanon and Syria GB: Palestine, Iraq, Transjordan Newly emerging countries: Egypt, (Syria), Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iraq Challenges to the mandate system

WW II Middle Eastern front – an effort to commit Allied troops to defend local claims, partially successfull (North Africa) Revolts in Palestine, Iraq and Syria – thwarted Unbearable cost

Cold War Decolonization (new states, Algeria)

Cold War Israel and Palestine Superpower involvement Iranian revolution Oil exports

Cold War Socialism Pan-Arabism

Cold War Lebanese War Iran-Iraq War Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty Libyan/Palestinian terrorism

1990s Hopes for new era Operation Desert Storm Single remaining Superpower Calm before the storm