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Except for the
Dardanelles/Gallipoli campaigns, the extensive combat operations
in the Middle East during World War I have been largely
overlooked in documentary programs. Given the historical
significance of the Ottoman Empire’s demise in 1918, and the
ongoing importance of Middle Eastern oil reserves to Western
economies, a close study of this conflict provides two important
lessons:
1. The Treaty of Versailles, agreed to by the Western Powers in
1919, paved the way for military and political chaos in the
Middle East, which continues to this very day.
2. Oil reserves in the Middle East became an important strategic
concern for Western Powers, helping to justify their economic,
diplomatic and military interference in the region.
After the end of World War I, most of the Ottoman Empire was
carved up into “spheres of influence”, controlled mostly by the
British and French. The remaining territories became the modern
state of Turkey in 1923 – after a five-year struggle by Turkish
nationalists against Western domination.
With little regard for cultural, historical, religious and
demographic considerations, the West sponsored the creation of
several new nations: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and
Saudi Arabia. Thus, a “tinderbox” was built from Western greed,
igniting a multitude of wars, revolts, coups and military
occupations that truly have made the defeat of the Ottoman
Empire little more than a hollow victory.
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