World War I and Palestine: Britain’s Conflicting Promises

1. World War I and Palestine: Britain’s Conflicting Promises IAFS/JWST 3650

2. Announcements • RonitAvni, “My Neighborhood” discussion and screening, Mon, 18 Feb, 3-3:50pm • RSVP: Meghan.Zibby@colorado.edu (space is limited)

3. Outline • British interests in West Asia • Ottoman decline • Orientalism and Lawrence of Arabia • World War I • Conflicting British promises

4. British Interests in the Middle East • Access to India • initially, overland passage to India • post-1869, a quicker route via the Suez Canal

5. British Interests in the Middle East • Protecting Suez Canal • 1882 occupation of Egypt • Oil • 1908: oil discovered in Persia

6. Ottoman (Turkish) Empire • Rising influence of Young Turks • 1915: Ottoman genocide of Armenians • Turkish alliance with Germany during World War I

7. Edward Said’sTheory of Orientalism An academic field A style of thought based on a distinction between the Oriental and “us” A Western style of rule over the Orient

8. Where is the “Orient”? In Orientalists’ heads Originally, India and the Middle East All of “Far East”—India, Japan, China, etc, and the “Muslim world”

9. What are “Orientals” like (according to Orientalists)? Orientals: Childlike Irrational Dishonest Gullible yet cunning Lazy Incapable of order Depraved • vs. Orientalists: • Mature • Rational • Full of clarity • Direct • Noble

10. Said on Orientalism Based on accepted scholarly understanding Has less to do with the Orient than with the West

11. Critiques of Said Overly focused on Western views, rather than “Oriental” agency Overgeneralizations

12. Quickthink In what ways is Said’s work on orientalism relevant today?

13. Significance We must understand our own biases We must think about the language we use

14. TE Lawrence: “Lawrence of Arabia” (1885-1935) • British intelligence agent during WWI • Active in Arab Revolt (1916-1918) • Pushed for Arab indepen- dence King Faisal and advisors (Lawrence 3rd from right)

15. TE Lawrence: “Lawrence of Arabia” (1885-1935) • Seen as a hero in Britain • Fictionalized autobiographical accounts, e.g. Seven Pillars of Wisdom • Arabists’ influence

16. World War I • 1916: Sykes-Picot Agreement • 1916: Arab Revolt • 1920: Treaty of Sevres and end of Ottoman Empire Sykes-Picot Plan

17. World War I • Britain’s other conflicting World War I promises: • 1915: McMahon-Hussein correspondence • 1917: Balfour Declaration

18. McMahon-Hussein Correspondence (1915-1916) • Henry McMahon, British High Commissioner to Egypt • Sharif Hussein, protector of Mecca and Medina • McMahon’s intentional vagueness

19. McMahon-Hussein Correspondence (1915-1916) “The districts of Mersina and Alexandretta, and portions of Syria lying to the west of the districts of Damascus, Homs, Hama and Aleppo, cannot be said to be purely Arab, and must on that account be excepted from the proposed limits and boundaries . . . . Subject to the above modifications, Great Britain is prepared to recognize and support the independence of the Arabs within the territories in the limits and boundaries proposed by the Sherif of Mecca.” --McMahon to Hussein, 24 Oct. 1915

20. Ottoman Administrative Districts “portions of Syria lying to the west of the districts of Damascus, Homs, Hama and Aleppo [must] be excepted “ Based on maps in Cmd. 5957 (1939)

21. Balfour Declaration (1917) • Nov 1917 • Arthur Balfour, British Foreign Secretary • Lord Rothschild, British Jewish leader

22. Balfour Declaration (1917)

23. Balfour Declaration (1917)

24. Balfour Declaration (1917) • British motivations • Short-term: Russian and US support during WWI • Long-term: stable hold on Palestine

25. Conclusions • British decisions made with focus on European impact, not repercussions for West Asia • Despite intentional vagueness of Balfour Declaration and McMahon-Hussein correspondence, British promises not compatible