ABSTRACT
The early twentieth century was a time of unparalleled change in the Middle East. The fall of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of a system of distinct nation-states signalled a new phase in regional history. Over the first half of the twentieth century, the emergent state-based nationalisms interacted with pre-existing loyalties based along sectarian, ethnic and tribal lines. The Western imposition of territorial boundaries irrevocably changed the Middle East. It provided a stable system of states that were plagued by endemic political instabilities. This new political configuration simultaneously provided the opportunity for the consolidation of regional alliances and, often ineffectually, submerged ethnic and sectarian tensions. The political machinations of the colonial powers of France and, particularly, Britain and the emergent role of the United States are the topic of many excellent historical texts. As a brief introduction to the colonial period and its impact on the politics of the Middle East, this chapter will explore three major documents: the Husayn–McMahon Correspondence, the Sykes–Picot Agreement and the Balfour Declaration. These three seemingly contradictory British foreign policy initiatives were designed to consolidate the United Kingdom’s regional alliances and influence in the region. From the perspective of the Arab world, they set the scene for a history of Western influence and intervention that spanned the twentieth century.
