Who Controlled the Middle East after WWI: An In-Depth Analysis

After the end of World War I, the control of the Middle East underwent a significant reshaping through a series of treaties and agreements. The most prominent powers involved were Britain and France, which established mandates over various territories in the region. The British Empire, with a long history of asserting its dominance globally, sought to establish control over strategic regions that would ensure access to key resources and strategic advantages.

British Mandate

The British Mandate, granted by the League of Nations in 1920, encompassed Palestine, which later comprised the territories of present-day Israel and Jordan. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 had already expressed support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. To address the issue of Arab-Jewish conflicts, the British separated the eastern part of the mandate known as Transjordan in 1921, eventually leading to its independence in 1946. Meanwhile, the British also established control over Iraq, which became a mandate in 1920 and gained full independence in 1932.

French Mandate

The French Mandate, formalized through a League of Nations mandate in 1920, encompassed Syria and Lebanon. Lebanon gained independence in 1943, and Syria followed in 1946. The French presence in the region was marked by efforts to maintain order and manage local populations according to their interests, often in a manner that reflected colonial attitudes and policies.

Emergence of New States

The dissolution of the Ottoman Empire led to the emergence of new nation-states in the region. These states often had borders that were drawn by colonial powers with little regard for ethnic and sectarian divisions, which has had lasting implications for regional stability. The new nation-states were characterized by political and social changes that were shaped by the legacy of colonial rule.

International Influence

The United States and other countries began to exert influence in the region, especially with the discovery of oil, although the control remained predominantly in the hands of Britain and France in the immediate post-WWI years. The discovery of oil in regions such as Kirkuk in northern Iraq transformed the dynamics of the region, and the strategic importance of this resource played a crucial role in maintaining British and French control.

Colonial Rivalries and Strategic Considerations

The British Empire, under Queen Victoria (64 years of successful rule), had a tradition of asserting its cultural and military superiority. During the war years, the British leadership recognized the need to maintain a strategic connection to India, the jewel in their crown, by ensuring a smooth land and sea route through the Middle East, especially via the Suez Canal and the coast of Palestine. By 1917, the Ottoman Empire, which had been a significant obstacle to this goal, was no longer relevant, and General Allenby's Eastern Expeditionary Force (EEF) played a crucial role in breaking it up.

The control of Iraq was also a critical objective for the British, as they sought to establish a new English-influenced property in the region. Meanwhile, the British forces in Egypt, the Sudan, and Iraq were all considered strategically important. The French presence in the region was seen as a rival, but the British leadership recognized the importance of fostering a "neighbourly working relationship" with the French, allowing them to have control over Syria and Lebanon.

The discovery of oil in regions like Kirkuk in northern Iraq further highlighted the strategic importance of the region. The British navy, which was crucial to the empire, realized that oil could replace coal as the new energy source. This discovery led to the construction of a 942 km pipeline, allowing the transportation of oil from Kirkuk to the Syrian and Palestinian coasts. To protect this resource, the British sent large military forces to Palestine, providing a quick-response force to safeguard the pipeline and the oil fields.

The elevation of Palestine to a European showcase, technologically advanced, and English-speaking, was part of a broader strategy to demonstrate the superiority of British governance and technology. The strategic importance of the region, coupled with the involvement of Britain and France, ensured that the Middle East remained a focal point of global power struggles for decades to come.