Date post: | 25-Jan-2015 |
Category: |
News & Politics |
Upload: | bradley-bergey |
View: | 3,307 times |
Download: | 0 times |
Modern Middle East
20th Century World HistoryB. Bergey
Factors to consider Religion:
Jew? Christian? Muslim? If Muslim? Sunni or Shi’a
Ethnicity Arab? Persian? Turk? Kurd?
Islam Practitioner called Muslim Islamic is adjective (not used with people) Shares roots with Judaism & Christianity 5 Pillars
"There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger"
Prayer 5 times a day Charity Fasting (Ramadan) Hajj, pilgrimage to Mecca
Sunnis & Shi’a
Some wanted Ali (cousin & brother-in-law) with blood tie to Muhammad
Shi’a means “party of Ali” Minority in Islam (globally) Believe Imams are infallable Reject supplementary
narratives Perceive themselves as
persecuted and martyrs Emphasize
Equity Social justice Dignity of individual Leader selected from
bloodline
After Muhammad’s death, the question of who to lead: Majority wanted Abu Bakr--No
blood tie Sunni means “one who follows
in the tradition of Muhammad Most Muslims world wide are
Sunni Imams are fallible Refer to supplementary
teachings of early leaders Emphasize:
Community decides leader Conformity Social stability
Distribution of Sunni & Shi´a Muslims
Distribution of Religion in the Middle East
Distribution of Religion (detail)
Ethnicity in the Middle East
For
larg
er m
ap
Before the 20th Century
Who’s controlled the Middle East (ME)? Arabs arrived with Islam in 7th century Tribal groups until… Rise of Ottoman Empire 1500s Ottoman Empire declines (18th century) Finally falls apart and is taken apart by
European powers
Decline of the Ottoman Empire
Post WWI: British & French Mandates
Oil
British take Palestine, Transjordan, & Iraq Along with:
Kuwait Coast of Saudi Arabia
France took: Syria Lebanon
Why are the British & French interested in the ME?
Middle East in 1930
Nationalism vs. Regionalism
Will all Arabs unite or will they be divided in to smaller states that their different histories and local cultures?
Pan-Arabism
Pan-Arabism: Movement based in the belief that all Arabs should be free of occupying powers and should move towards a unified and autonomous Middle East.
Rewind to WWI
During WWI British court both Jews
and Palestinian Arabs To Arabs: Britain will
help form a country if you find against the Turks
To Jews: Britain will help form a “national home” for a many possible reasons
T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia)
Bal
four
Agr
eem
ent
Zionism International nationalist
movement to establish a state in Palestine
1200 BCE Jews have a kingdom in present-day Israel
Founded in late 19th century by Theodor Hertzl
Largely European/Russian movement of secular Jews
Response to Anti-Semitic actions/sentiment in Europe/Russia
Encouraged immigration to the “Promise Land”
Demographics
1870
1893
1912
1920
1925
1930
1935
1940
1946
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
1,600,000
1,800,000
2,000,000
Source: American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, 2002
Palestinians
Jews
In the 20s & 30s Increasing tension between
Jews Palestinian Arabs British
Arab revolts 1936-1939 Britain quells Arab up-risings by force
Holocaust 1933-1945
Est. 6,000,000 Jews killed
Genocide: Actions to systematically eliminate an ethic group
International support for Zionist mov’t after war
After WWII Britain is bankrupt
Britain turns the question of Palestine over to the United Nations
US seeks to fill the vacuum before the USSR, becomes most important western power
Keeping oil available to the West becomes issue in the emerging Cold War
UN suggests division of Palestine into two independent states (1 Israeli, 1 Arab)
Population Breakdown of UN Partition Plan
“War of Independence”“Nakba” (Catastrophe) Conflict intensifies after Partition is
announced (Nov. 1947) Arab states vow to prohibit the
establishment of Israel Increases as British leave 2 Phases: Civil War & Invasion
Civil WarArabs+ reputation (mighty Arab
warrior)+ initial advantage (i.e. more
troops)
Jews- Reputation of being easily
controlled- Initial disadvantage (i.e.
couldn’t import arms, ppl)+ Israel was better organized
(communication, taxes)+ Benefited from British
evacuation (less taxes)+ “Fighting for their lives”
Palestinians Flee 100,000 Palestinian Arabs (mainly upper-
class) leave early in conflict 150,000 more fled by May 1948, either
because of eviction or voluntarily Believed would return after Arab invasion
State of Israel May 14, 1948 Israel declares itself
independent US & Soviet Union immediately recognize
the new state
Invasion Arab troops from Egypt, TransJordan,
Syria, Lebanon, Iraq invade Arabs are poorly organized, trained, have
weak supply routes. Israel receives much needed arms from
Czechoslovakia (despite a UN embargo)
Transjordan annexs West Bank
Egypt controls Gaza strip
Palestinian Refugee Camps, 1948
Where do Palestinian Refugees Go?
Six Day Waran‑Naksah (The Setback)
•Israel preemptive attack
•Responding to mounting pressure from Egypt
•Suez Canal
•Egyptian troops moved to Israeli southern border
•Israel occupies
•West Bank (from Jordan)
•Gaza and Sinai (from Egypt)
•Golan Heights (from Syria)
Independence