1. Aim: Was the Breakup of the Ottoman Empire for the Better or Worse?
Do Now: “The sun never sets on the British Empire.” What do you think this mean?

2. I What Happened to the Ottoman Empire After WWI?
During WWI the Ottoman empire sided with Germany and Austria-Hungary and LOST.
British officer T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) helped lead the Arab revolt against the Ottomans. Had been promised that they would gain independence at the end of the war
C) 1919 the Treaty of Versailles stripped the Ottoman Empire of its Arab provinces.
D) Arabs were angry because:
1. Promises were made and broken to Arabs about setting up independent Arab Kingdoms for revolting against Ottoman rule
2. Arab land was divided up between the British and French (Sykes-Picot Agreement)
3. Mandates: A territory administered but not owned by a member of the League of Nations.

3. T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia)

4. The Sykes-Picot Agreement 1916

5. II Republic of Turkey 1923
A) Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (a war general) led Turkish nationalists in overthrowing the Sultan in Ataturk became the president of the new Republic of Turkey in B) Ataturk abolished the Ottoman Empire and set up a modern, secular (separate from religion) state. 1. Built industry 2. Separated religion and government 3. Women won the right to vote & hold public office 4. Replaced Arabic script with the western alphabet, western calendar, metric system 5. Encouraged western-style clothing
“My people are going to learn the principles of democracy, the dictates of truth and the teachings of science. Superstition must go.”

6. III The Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide was the Ottoman government's state organized extermination of 1.5 million Armenians, and forced expulsion of many more.
Why? Armenians are Christian, and were feared to not be loyal to the state.
C) Turkey denies the Armenian Genocide.

7. IV Saudi Arabia
A) 1916, Britain promised Sherif Hussein (an Arab tribal leader) to support the struggle for Arab independence. BUT Britain secretly agreed to support Ibn Saud (another Arab tribal leader) in controlling the same territory. Why? Hussein believed in pan-Arab unity, a concept that conflicted with British imperialism. Britain’s Secretary of State for the Colonies: “What we want is not a united Arabia but a disunited Arabia split into principalities under our authority.” B) Ibn Saud, after bloody conquests, became King of Saudi Arabia in In 1938 oil reserves were discovered in eastern Saudi Arabia, leading to America’s interests in the region.

8. Saudi Arabia Continued…
Ibn Saud was born in the Arabian desert but died one of the richest men in the world. He was the hereditary imam (Muslim leader) of the Wahhabi (extremist) sect of Islam. Under Wahhabism, Ibn Saud imposed a harsh Sharia Law based on the literal interpretation of the Koran. He had 300 wives.
Ibn Saud

9. V Egypt
1922 the British declared Egypt independent. But would leave military forces there to defend Egypt and protect the Suez Canal.

10. IV Palestine
A) Since the late 1800s, Jews from Europe had been establishing small colonies in Palestine. B) Rise of Zionism: nationalist movement to build homeland for Jews. Started by Theodor Herzl in He had been concerned by the rise of Anti-Semitism against Jews in Europe. C) Palestine became a British Mandate post WWI. Britain issued the Balfour Declaration November 2, 1917, promising Palestine to the Jews. Most Arabs opposed the idea. Tensions between Jews and Arabs increased.

11. Zionism demands a publically recognized and legally secured homeland in Palestine for the Jewish people.” Theodore Herzl

12. The Balfour Declaration
November 2nd, 1917
Dear Lord Rothschild,
I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet.
"His Majesty's Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors 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."
I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.
Yours sincerely,
Arthur James Balfour

13. Surrender of Jerusalem 1917
Palestine Continued…
The League of Nations under the Treaty of Versailles granted Britain a mandate over Israel, the West Bank, Gaza and Jordan the British divided this region in two: East of the Jordan River became the Emirate of Transjordan, and west of the Jordan River became the Palestine Mandate.
Surrender of Jerusalem 1917
Mandate: Form of imperialism where territories were administered by European powers

14. V Iran
1921 Reza Shah Pahlavi (a Persian army officer) revolted against the Shah who had allowed the invasion of foreign powers. Pahlavi made himself the ruler of Iran.
1. Set up public schools, built roads, railroads, promoted industrial growth and extended women’s rights
2. Unlike Mustafa Kemal in Turkey, Pahlavi gathered all power into his hands.
“My main mistake was to have made an ancient people advance by forced marches toward independence, health, culture, affluence, comfort.”
Reza Shah Pahlavi

16. Key Vocabulary
Balfour Declaration Ibn Saud Iran Mandate Mustafa Ataturk Palestine Pan Arabism Reza Shah Pahlavi Saudi Arabia Sykes-Picot Agreement 1916 T. E. Lawrence Theodore Herzl Transjordan Turkey Wahabhism Zionism

17. Summary Questions
Why did the Ottoman Empire break up after WWI? What was Britain’s role in the breakup?
Describe the creation of
a. Iran
b. Saudi Arabia
c. Palestine
d. Turkey
3. Why did Britain break promises during the creation of Palestine and Saudi Arabia?
4. How did Ataturk transform Turkey into a modern secular state?
5. What was the Armenian Genocide? Why was it done? Why do you think Turkey refuses to label it a genocide to this day?