The Middle East: Great Power involvement (thematic)

  • Oil discovered in Iran

    Increased Great Power interest in the Middle East
  • McMahon-Hussein letters

    Exchange of letters about the increase in Arab nationalism, fuelling the desire for independence
  • Sykes-Picot Agreement

    The secret agreement between Britain and France to share Turkey's Arab lands among them which angered Arab leaders. Some Arab land be under direct British and French rule and others within their influence. Most of Palestine under international authority. Britain's reasons for signing: strengthening alliance with France; trading links with the Middle East and the protection of the Suez Canal
  • Balfour Declaration

    Britain declaring support for a British homeland in Palestine in an attempt to appease the Jewish lobby in America so that they could enter the war with them. A letter written to Lord Rothschild, a leading British Jew, in November 1917 from Lord Balfour
  • Britain and France granted mandates over Arab lands in the Treaty of Versailles

    Britain and France given mandates to govern specific countries in the ME until the Arab people were ready to govern themselves. France received Syria and Lebanon and Britain received Palestine, Jordan and Iraq
  • Faisal made king of Iraq

    Lawrence of Arabia advised the British government to establish Faisal as the King of Syria, but made him King of Iraq instead, and recognised his older brother Abdullah, as the ruler of Transjordan
  • Peel Commission recommended partition of Palestine

    Concluded that cooperation between Arabs and Jews was impossible; recommended the partition of Palestine into two separate states
  • British government White Paper

    Declaration of an independent Palestine within 10 years. Palestine neither to be a Jewish nor Arab state.
  • Hanging of two British soldiers by Irgun (BEFORE UN PARTITION)

    'Cruel revenge' aimed to drive the British out of Palestine
  • UN voted for partition of Palestine

    End of mandates period - British could no longer afford to keep 100,000 troops and police in Palestine following the devastation of WWII which led to increased rationing. Increased hostilities between Arabs and Jews due to haphazard division of Palestine
  • Mossadeq coup in Iran

    Overthrow of democratically elected Prime Minister Mossadeq in favour of strengthening the monarchical rule of Reza Shah, orchestrated by the UK and USA. Mossadeq aimed to limit Great Power control over Iranian oil through the nationalisation of Iran's oil industry and to expel foreign corporate representatives from the country. New leader, Reza Shah, considered a 'Western puppet'
  • Nasser announces Czech arms deal

    This was an agreement to buy arms from the Czech government, and Nasser was considered a hero against Western hegemony
  • Baghdad Pact formed

    Anti-Soviet alliance formed by Britain, Turkey, Iran, and later, Pakistan and Iraq. Nasser viewed the pact as a form of Western intervention; led to campaign to prevent Iraq from joining.
  • British and French bomb Egyptian airfields

    Destroyed most of Egypt's forces - Egypt responded by sinking ships as a means of obstructing naval advances
  • UN peacekeeping force established on Israeli-Egyptian border

    Crisis heightened anti-Western sentiments and made Israel appear more of an example of Western imperialism
  • Israeli forces invaded Egypt

  • Nationalisation of Suez Canal

    Canal considered Britain's 'jugular vein', granting her access to key trading routes to the rest of the empire
  • UN ceasefire and Anglo-French withdrawal from Egypt

    Both powers failed to regain control - marked the end of western (British and French influence) influence in the Arab world
  • Eisenhower Doctrine

    Pronouncement promising military or economic aid to any Middle Eastern country needing help in resisting communist aggression
  • Sadat expels Soviet advisers from Egypt

    Soviets refused Egyptian demands for increased economic and military aid. Expulsion of 5,000 Soviet military advisers and 15,000 air force personnel in Egypt in response. Sadat became more convinced of the need to closer relations with Washington
  • The Yom Kippur War

    America provided Israel with an airlift of arms, and Israel seized even more territory in the Golan Heights
  • Imposition of Arab oil embargo

    Members of OPEC imposed an embargo in response to US support for Israel in the October War. Caused an oil crisis, with the rise in the price in oil from 3 USD/barrel to 12 USD/barrel
  • Arafat speech to UN

    First time a non-state representative addressed the Assembly, strongly opposed by Israel and the USA.
  • Camp David Agreements in US

    Sadat and Begin met again in the US, negotiating an agreement with President Jimmy Carter. The Treaty ended state of war between the two countries and provided for the establishment of full diplomatic and commercial relations
  • Treaty of Washington

    Signed between Sadat (Egypt) and Begin (Israel), and witnessed by Jimmy Carter. Formal signing of the agreement between Egypt and Israel at Camp David from the year before
  • Islamic Revolution in Iran

    Overthrow of the US-supported Shah who was exiled. Ayatollah Khomeini was invited back to Iran and officially brought to power. Anti-Western authoritarian theocracy established
  • Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

    USSR intervened in support of the Afghan communist government. Against anti-communist Muslim guerrillas. Established the early remnants of al-Qaeda
  • Period: to

    Iran-Iraq War

    US sold weapons to Iraqis largely to US interest in containing Ayatollah Khomeini
  • Iraqi invasion of Kuwait

    Military intervention by a UN authorised coalition of forces led by the USA
  • The First Gulf War

    War wages by coalition forces from 35 nations led by the US in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait. Great majority of the coalition's forces were from the US, with SA, the UK, and Egypt as leading contributors. Estimated over 8,000 Iraqi forces were killed compared to only 300 coalition troops
  • Period: to

    The Oslo Accords

    More to do with Israel-Palestine conflict, but US involvement
  • Camp David peace negotiations

    Again, more to do with Israel-Palestine, but US involvement
  • US attack on Afghanistan

    Public aims to dismantle al-Qaeda and to deny it a safe of operations by removing the Taliban from power. UK a key ally of the US, offering support for military actions
  • 9/11 attack on New York and Washington DC

    Series of four coordinated attacks by Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda. Killed 2,996 people and injured over 6,000 others. Two planes crashed into the north and south towers of the World Trade Centre. Third plane crashed in to the Pentagon. Fourth plane crashed into a field after its passengers tried to overcome the hijackers
  • 'Road map' to peace

    Plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict proposed by the Quarter on the Middle East: the USA, the EU, Russia and the UN. Both sides required to take immediate steps to end violence and create conditions for a lasting peace (Bush)
  • US invasion of Iraq: Second Gulf War

    Consisted of 21 days of major combat operations - combined force of troops from the US, the UK, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq to depose Saddam Hussein. According to Bush and Blair, the coalition mission was to 'disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people'
  • The last US troops left Iraq

    End of nine-year war in Iraq with cooperation on energy, trade and education as well as security, counter-terrorism, economic development and strengthening Iraq's institutions