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Summary Grade 11 Focus History - History
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Well written summary of Grade 11 History: The Middle East.
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The Middle EastJews in the Middle East
Jews had settled in the ‘Promised Land’ before the birth of Jesus Christ. In 63 BCE, the land was
colonised by the Roman Empire. In 66 CE, the Jews rose in rebellion. Romans defeated them,
many Jews were killed, sold in slavery, exiled.
This was known as the Diaspora - the scattering.
By 1900, only 1 in 10 in Palestine was a Jew. Descendants of Jews who left Palestine were
scattered over Europe and the Middle East. Jews of the Diaspora were always seen as outsiders
and were often persecuted.
Zionist Movement
In 1897, an Austrian Jew named Theodor Herzl started the Zionist Movement - a Jewish
nationalist movement. It aimed to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine. With increasing
anti-Semitism in Europe, Jews needed to create a state of their own.
In Britain, the Zionist movement grew under the effective leadership of Chaim Weizmann. He
had important influence with the British PM (David Lloyd George) and British Foreign
Secretary (Arthur Balfour).
(Not all Jewish people are Zionists while many people who support Zionism are not Jewish)
Arab Nationalism
Palestinian Arabs also trace their roots back to Palestine.
Arabs who were already living in Palestine reacted with hostility to the Zionist movement.
By WW1 in 1914, Palestinian Arabs made up about 90% of the population.
Islam
Most Palestinians are Muslims.
Muslims believe they descended from Abraham’s first-born son, Ishmael.
Jews believe they descended from Abraham’s second son, Issac.
This ancient bond to the ‘Holy Land’ is the basis of both Jewish and Arab claims.
, Arab Revolt of 1916
Arab nationalism aimed to throw off Turkish rule and create Arab unity across the Middle East.
There was a strong mutual bond of language and religion between different Arabs.
The strive for a separate Arab nation took place during World War One. The leaders of the
struggle for Arab unity and self-rule were Sherif Hussein of Mecca and his 2 sons. An Arab revolt
against Turkish rule broke out in 1916.
By September 1918, the British were spending a large amount of money to subsidise this revolt.
British officer, T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) was an influential figure in the revolt and was
the strategic advisor to the Arabs.
British support for Arab independence
During WW1, the Ottoman Empire was allied with Germany and therefore at war with Britain. The
British already controlled Egypt; British High Commissioner in Egypt, Sir Henry McMahon
began a correspondence with Sherif Hussein of Mecca.
In a letter dated 24 October 1915, McMahon declared the British government’s support for Arab
independence in the region after the war. In exchange, Britain expected the Arabs to help defeat the
Turks in the war.
Hussein interpreted the letter to mean the land allocated to the Arabs included Palestine.
However Palestine and particularly Jerusalem was the centre of Christianity, Judaism, Islam
and so the Turks allowed religious freedom in the area. Therefore the British could never consider
Palestine ‘exclusively Arab’.
Although the correspondence was not legally binding, Hussein launched an Arab revolt against the
Turks in 1916.
The Sykes-Picot Agreement
Britain made a secret agreement with France in 1916. It planned to divide the Arab provinces of
the crumbling Ottoman Empire after the war and place them under British and French control.
France was given rule over Syria and Lebanon.
The agreement became public by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution and the Arabs felt
betrayed by the Sykes-Picot Agreement.
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