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The Ottoman Empire and the Interwar Period. http://www.maps101.com/Application/WarMaps/ImperialHistory.aspx.
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http://www.maps101.com/Application/WarMaps/ImperialHistory.aspxhttp://www.maps101.com/Application/WarMaps/ImperialHistory.aspx
Starting in the 1200’s, the Ottoman Turks, an Islamic but non-Arabic people living in what is today Turkey, began gaining power and building an empire, which eventually united most of the Middle East and North Africa, encompassing much of what had once been the Islamic Empire. It also conquered the Christian Byzantine Empire, giving it territory in much of southeastern Europe. Turkish expansion reached its peak in the 16th century.
By the nineteenth century, the Ottoman Empire was shrinking. Indeed, by time of the beginning of World War I, the Ottoman Empire, weakened and collapsing through the slow loss of territory, was regarded as "the sick man of Europe and Asia,” though it still remained a political power in Europe and the Middle East.
Territory remaining in the Ottoman Empire (green) by start of WWI
World War I broke out in 1914. Britain, France, the United States, and Russia were united as the Allied forces. They fought the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary. The Ottoman Turks assumed the Central Powers would win the war. The Turks believed Germany would keep Russia from taking land from their declining empire, so the Ottoman sultans joined the Central Powers. They also joined the Central Powers to gain needed technology from the Germans.
Although Turkish troops succeeded against the Allies in the Gallipoli campaign, Arabia rose against Turkish rule, helping the British forces to capture and occupy Baghdad and Jerusalem. In 1918, Turkish resistance collapsed in Asia and Europe. When the war was over and peace treaties signed, the Allied Powers broke up the lands that had been what was left of the Ottoman Empire. They left to the Ottoman Turks only what we now know as the modern nation of Turkey.
http://www.pbs.org/lawrenceofarabia/flash/emerging_fla.html First 2 slides of Chapter 4
Line west of which Britain said “should be included from the proposed limits and boun-daries” of any future indepen-dent Arab State (nation) From McMahon’s letter of October, 1915 Areas which the Sherif (Ruler) of Mecca declared to be “purely Arab provinces”, and wished to see as part of “the pure Arab Kingdom”. From Hussein’s letter of November 1915
During the Interwar Period [from the end of the First World War (1914-18) to the beginning of the Second World War (1939 – 1945)], the Paris Peace Conference parceled out former Ottoman territories to the victorious nations for administration. The territories were called “mandates,” a term that was meant to signify that the European countries were not establishing colonies, but instead were assisting these countries in moving toward self-government and independence. The European countries were to administer the mandates under the guidance of the newly-formed League of Nations. France was given the mandates for Syria and Lebanon, Britain for Trans-Jordan, Iraq, and Palestine.
Mandated territory- After World War I ended in 1918, certain colonies and territories were taken from the defeated nations and placed under the administration of one or more of the victorious nations. These areas were called mandated territories. The League of Nations, a forerunner of the United Nations (UN), supervised the governing countries in the administration of the territories. The League expected the governing countries to improve living conditions in the territories, and to prepare the people for self government. Britain received mandates for Mesopotamia (later renamed Iraq) and Palestine. Palestine was later divided into Palestine and Transjordan (later renamed Jordan). France received Syria, which was later divided into Syria and Lebanon. Protectorate- A relationship between a strong sovereign nation and a weak nation or area not recognized as a nation. Once the strong nation has established a protectorate over a weak nation, it can control the latter's affairs. Also: the relation of a strong state toward a weaker state or territory that it protects and partly controls.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1244627
