Download The Middle East: A Brief Modern History

Monday, October 31
1. This Week: Earth’s Population will hit 7 BILLION
2. Notes: The Middle East – Brief History
3. Choose Countries tomorrow…
The Middle East: A Brief Modern
History
World Geography
Mr. Thomsen
Fall 2011
Main Tenants of Islam
• Arabian Peninsula: Known as one of the “Cradles of Civilization
– Many of the first civilizations arose in this area
• Mesopotamia (between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers)
• Muhammad founds religion of Islam ~600AD
• Islamic Core Beliefs
– Allah is the only God (same God as Jews and Christians)
– Muhammad is the final Prophet (Jesus, Abraham also Prophets)
– 5 Pillars
• Profession of Faith (Shahada)
• Prayer 5 times Daily (Salat)
• Almsgiving – Charity (Zakat)
• Holy Month of Ramadan (Sawm)
• Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)
• Divisions of Islam:
–
–
–
–
Sunni (Largest Segment) and Shia, or Shi’ite
Differences in Leadership, some religious practices
Sunni-dominated countries: Saudi Arabia, Jordan
Shia-dominated countries: Iran, Iraq
Main Tenants of Judaism
• Oldest organized religion (8,000 BCE)
• Main Figures:
– Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael
– Jesus a prophet, but not “Messiah”
• Main text: Torah (Old Testament)
• Divisions within Judaism:
– Reform
– Orthodox
– Conservative
• Important Holidays:
– Yom Kippur, Chanukah,
Main Tenants of Christianity
• Jesus as “Son of God”,
Messiah
• Old Testament = Judaism;
New Testament = Jesus &
Disciples
• Main Text: Bible
• Catholic Church dominant
until 1500s – then
Protestant groups
(Calvinism, Lutheranism,
etc.)
The Crusades, Revisited
• What were the causes for
the Crusades?
– Christian Church attempt to
conquer Holy Lands; Muslims
defend
• What were the outcomes of
the Crusades?
– Christian, Muslim, and Jewish
mutual distrust
The Ottoman Empire
• Centered around modern-day
Turkey
• Osman I consolidated power
in late 13th century
• At height, Ottoman Empire
encompassed:
– Southeastern Europe, Anatolia
(Turkey), Iraq, Western Iran,
Greater Syria, Egypt, West
Arabian Peninsula & Northern
Africa
Source: MSN Encarta Online
Ottoman Empire Expansion
European Expansion
Britain, France expand colonial
territories
Extensive colonization in Africa;
deals made with Ottomans for
trade, resources
In Middle East, Arab Nationalism
grows
In Europe, the Jewish “Zionist”
Movement gains strength
Jewish Homeland in Palestine
Jews had been driven out of
Palestine in 200s
World War I Effect on Middle East
• Ottoman Empire sides with
Central Powers (Germany,
Austro-Hungarian Empire)
• Allied Powers (Britain,
France, Italy, USA) devise
Picot-Sykes Agreement
– Secret plan to divide Middle
East after war
– Balfour Declaration
• Letter from British government
declaring support for Zionist
Movement
Post World War I
• Mandate system in
Middle East
– “Supervisory” control over
territories
• England: Iraq, Palestine,
Transjordan (now Jordan)
• France: Syria & Lebanon
– Turkey – resists Europe,
Ätaturk creates modern
secular state
Israel.org
Ataturk.com
Zionism and Arab Resistance
Jewish Immigration Into
Palestine
66,472
70,000
60,000
37,337
39,195
34,386
50,000
40,000
30,000
8,223
20,000
4,592
10,000
0
19
20
19
25
19
33
19
35
19
39
19
41
• Due to Balfour
Declaration, Jewish
immigration into
Palestine rose
dramatically from 1920
to 1935
• Beginning in 1936,
Arabs revolted and
fought against the
immigration
• Britain issues “White
Paper” of 1939, which
limits Jewish
immigration into
Palestine
Arab Independence
• Nationalist movements lead
to some Arab Independence
– Egypt (1922)
– Iraq (1932)
– Iran (1935)
• However, western powers
still influence Arab
governments
– I.e. Britain keeps troops in
Egypt, Iraq
World War II
•Allied Powers
– England
– France
– Russia
– United States
– Italy (1943-45)
•Axis Powers
– Germany
– Austria
– Japan
– Italy (1940-1943)
German Anti-Semitism
1200s to 1930s
Lingering Anti-Semitism in Western European Society
1920
Treaty of Versailles
Germany forced to pay huge war reparations after World War I
1929
Onset of world-wide economic depression
1933
Hitler blames woes on Jewish population
Comes to power
The Holocaust
• By 1945, approximately 6 million
Jews had been killed across
Europe
– Nazi Death Camps such as
Auchwitz
– Stalin purges Jewish Communities
in Soviet Union
Encarta.com
Encarta.com
World Reaction
• United Nations founded
in 1945
• Britain steps up plans to
create Jewish Homeland
– Jewish settlers begin
armed attacks versus
British occupation and
Arab groups
• United States, now a
dominate world power,
lends support to
movement as well
• United Nations Partition
Plan of 1947
The Creation of Israel
• Jewish immigrants approve of UN
Partition Plan
• Arab population does not approve
• Britain turns mandate over to United
Nations, withdraws from Palestine on
May 14, 1948
• David Ben-Gurion, leader of Jewish
settlers, declares the state of Israel on
May 15, 1948
• Arabs flee across Jordan River; Egypt,
Syria attack new nation
Worlgeography.abc-clio.com
Discussion . . .
• Argument for Israel
– Followed UN Partition
Plan (I.e. world support)
– Historic Homeland, right
to exist
– Horror of the Holocaust –
needed specific place
– Defended against Arab
invasions
• Argument for Arab
Palestinians
– Under British Occupation
– no control in Jewish
Immigration
– Majority of land in UN
Partition plan went to
minority Jews
– Historic Homeland,
– No military support
Which do you believe has the stronger claim?