■ Topic: Decolonization of the Middle East ■ Essential Question: How did decolonization impact the Middle East?

When WWI ended, the Middle East was divided into mandates that were controlled by Britain and France. Britain & France offered self- rule to Arabs in the mandates... … but the European powers held real control over the region’s oil fields. Increasing demand for oil in the 1920s & 30s brought European & American oil companies to the Middle East, which dominated the local governments of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait & Saudi Arabia.

The domination of the Middle East by Western powers & the success of Attaturk in Turkey increased Arab nationalism & calls for independence. In the 1930s, Iraq & Saudi Arabia formed nations. The end of WWII in 1945 inspired a new wave of Arab nationalism as Syria, Lebanon & Jordan became nations. By the 1970s, all of the territories in the Middle East were independent of European control.

In 1960, the oil-producing nations of the world formed the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to regulate the supply & price of oil. OPEC gave Middle Eastern nations greater control over the oil in the region Pan-Arabism is an idea of encouraging the unification – or, sometimes, close cooperation and solidarity against perceived enemies of the Arabs. There is an underlying belief that many socio-economic problems in the Arab world come from Western exploitation. OPEC and resistance to the creation of the state of Israel are 2 examples of Pan-Arabism.

Zionism is a form of Jewish nationalism that opposes the assimilation of Jews into other societies. It advocates the return of Jews to the Holy Land, as a means for Jews to be a majority in their own nation and to be liberated from antisemitic discrimination that had historically occurred in the diaspora.

The creation of Israel changed the history of the Middle East. After WWII, the United Nations partitioned the British mandate Palestine into a Palestinian state & a Jewish state called Israel. When Israel declares itself an independent nation in 1948, the first Arab-Israeli War began as Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria invaded Israel. Israel defended itself & seized additional territories along the West Bank & border with Egypt.

Fighting broke out again in 1967 as Israel quickly defeated Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iran. After this Six Day War, Israel gained control of Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, West Bank, & Sinai Peninsula. Israel saw these territories as a buffer zone from future attacks. In 1973, Arabs attacked again, but Israel defended itself under the leadership of Prime Minister Golda Meir.

In 1977, a major breakthrough took place when Egypt agreed to recognize Israel’s right to exist in exchange for a return of the Sinai Peninsula by Israel.

As Israel & Arabs fought, Palestinians struggled for recognition. Palestinian Muslims were granted a partition by the United Nations, but Israel seized some of areas in the Strip Gaza & the West Bank. In 1964, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was formed to demand a Palestinian state. Since its formation, the PLO has carried out numerous attacks on Israel & receives aid from many Muslim nations in the Middle East.

Israeli-Palestinian tensions have intensified in recent years due to suicide bombings in Jewish civilian territories. Peace talks have stalled as Israel refuses to negotiate until Palestinian attacks stop. Recently, both side have discussed creating a new Palestinian state that would exist peacefully next to Israel.

Egyptian Nationalism Military coups often install military-run governments. Often times, military regimes suppress civil liberties and do not improve living standards. Gamal Abdul Nasser took power in Egypt in July 1952 after a military coup, with help from the Free Officers Movement. The F.O.M. was loosely allied with the Muslim Brotherhood (1928), which focused on social uplift and sweeping reforms.

Egypt: Radical Movements, cont. Nasser carried out social and economic reforms, like land reform and state-financed education. (modernization) Nasser ousted the British and French from the Suez Canal zone in 1956, and restricted foreign investment to ensure Egypt’s economic independence. Nasser secured support from the Soviet Union to build the Answan Dam. Nasser’s reforms failed because of population boom, lack of proper funding, and heavy costs of military excursions, like the Six-Day War with Israel in 1967.

Post-Nasser Egypt Anwar Sadat succeeded Nasser in 1970 and dismantled the state apparatus, by favoring private initiatives. Sadat opened Egypt to aid and investment from the US and western Europe. Sadat was assainated because he recongnized Israel’s right to exist. Hosni Mubarak succeeded Sadat and was overthrown in the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 in the Arab Spring.

Iran: Religious Revivalism and the Rejection of the West Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was the ruler of Iran following the 1979 revolution and emphasized religious purification and the elimination of Western influences. The shahs (leaders before the revolution) were dictatorial, repressive, and did not improve conditions in Iran. Khomeini instituted radical Islamic changes such as Sharia Law and distanced itself from the Western world.

Iran and Iraq The Iran-Iraq War was fought because Iraq annexed oil-rich provinces in the west, at the command of Saddam Hussein. Iran called for an armistace in 1988, after Iran was practically left in shambles and was isolated from the Western powers, who supported Iraq.

The Current Situation in the Middle East VideoVideo on the current state of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians from December 2010 (stop at 2:13) Video Video on building a wall to divide Israel and the West Bank from 2002 (7:23)

■ Power Point from ■ Brooks Baggett century present/unit-14-decolonization-globalization