0:00:00.391,0:00:02.235 Narrator: As we'll see in this video 0:00:02.235,0:00:06.099 and in others, the roots[br]of a lot of the current 0:00:06.099,0:00:08.615 disagreements in the Middle East 0:00:08.615,0:00:10.069 and a lot of the conflict[br]in the Middle East 0:00:10.069,0:00:13.495 can actually be traced[br]back to World War I. 0:00:13.495,0:00:15.893 I realize this is an[br]incredibly touchy subject 0:00:15.893,0:00:17.405 that there are people who[br]have very strong feelings 0:00:17.405,0:00:20.077 on either side of it and[br]my goal here is to really 0:00:20.077,0:00:24.872 give my best attempt at[br]what really happened. 0:00:24.872,0:00:28.102 I encourage you to doubt any of this 0:00:28.102,0:00:31.247 and look it up yourself and come, frankly, 0:00:31.247,0:00:32.810 to your own conclusions. 0:00:32.810,0:00:36.465 Let's rewind back to October of 1915, 0:00:36.465,0:00:38.069 or 1915 in particular. 0:00:38.069,0:00:41.046 The British were already[br]at war with the Ottoman's. 0:00:41.046,0:00:42.403 Just as a reminder of[br]some of what happened 0:00:42.403,0:00:45.131 in 1915, the Gallipoli campaign, 0:00:45.131,0:00:47.003 by the end of 1915 it was pretty clear 0:00:47.003,0:00:49.132 that this was a disaster for the allies. 0:00:49.132,0:00:51.287 The Ottoman's were able[br]to fend off the allies, 0:00:51.287,0:00:52.953 they were in retreat. 0:00:52.953,0:00:55.398 The British were able to[br]fend off the Ottoman's 0:00:55.398,0:00:58.662 when they tried to attack[br]the Suez canal in 1915. 0:00:58.662,0:01:00.936 This is the background,[br]you can imagine the British 0:01:00.936,0:01:04.013 are eager to get any other allies they can 0:01:04.013,0:01:07.584 in their battle against the Ottoman's. 0:01:07.584,0:01:09.010 In particular, they are[br]eager to get the help 0:01:09.010,0:01:11.403 of the Arab's who have been under the rule 0:01:11.403,0:01:13.823 of the Ottoman's for hundreds of years. 0:01:13.823,0:01:15.668 That's the backdrop where you have 0:01:15.668,0:01:17.812 this correspondence between[br]the high commissioner 0:01:17.812,0:01:19.669 in Egypt, the British high commissioner, 0:01:19.669,0:01:22.667 Sir Henry McMahon and the Sharif of Mecca, 0:01:22.667,0:01:25.709 Hussein bin ĘżAli, who[br]had his own aspirations 0:01:25.709,0:01:28.564 to essentially be the[br]king of an independent 0:01:28.564,0:01:30.079 Arab state. 0:01:30.079,0:01:32.601 They kept going back[br]and forth from mid 1915 0:01:32.601,0:01:36.561 to early 1916 talking about[br]what the state could be. 0:01:36.561,0:01:38.066 Obviously the British want his support, 0:01:38.066,0:01:43.004 wants him to lead a revolt[br]against the Ottoman's. 0:01:43.004,0:01:46.077 He's already articulated the boundaries 0:01:46.077,0:01:48.891 for a state that he would like to see. 0:01:48.891,0:01:50.929 So, that gives us a context[br]for this correspondence 0:01:50.929,0:01:52.819 in October of 1915. 0:01:52.819,0:01:55.727 This is from Sir Henry McMahon to Hussein. 0:01:55.727,0:01:57.944 "... it is with great pleasure[br]that I communicate to you 0:01:57.944,0:02:00.475 "on their behalf," the[br]British government's behalf, 0:02:00.475,0:02:02.559 "the following statement,[br]which I am confident 0:02:02.559,0:02:04.196 "you will receive with satisfaction. 0:02:04.196,0:02:08.535 "The two districts of[br]Mersina and Alexandretta 0:02:08.535,0:02:10.182 "and portions of Syria lying to the west 0:02:10.182,0:02:12.581 "of the districts of Damascus, Homs, Hama, 0:02:12.581,0:02:15.331 "and Aleppo cannot be[br]said to be purely Arab, 0:02:15.331,0:02:17.912 "and should be excluded[br]from the limits demanded." 0:02:17.912,0:02:19.980 This is referring to the limits that 0:02:19.980,0:02:22.072 Hussein bin Ali had demanded 0:02:22.072,0:02:23.750 in previous correspondence. 0:02:23.750,0:02:25.684 "With the above modifications,"[br]so just that region 0:02:25.684,0:02:28.569 right over there, this right over here is 0:02:28.569,0:02:31.404 Mersina, Alexandretta, this is Hama, 0:02:31.404,0:02:34.979 Homs, Damascus, so really[br]what he's referring to 0:02:34.979,0:02:39.338 is this region, the west,[br]the west of those cities 0:02:39.338,0:02:40.408 right over here. 0:02:40.408,0:02:42.068 He's saying look, you[br]can't really consider 0:02:42.068,0:02:44.067 this to be purely Arab,[br]I'm going to exclude 0:02:44.067,0:02:46.228 this out of the boundaries[br]of this potential 0:02:46.228,0:02:48.738 independent Arab state. 0:02:48.738,0:02:51.204 "With the above modification,[br]and without prejudice 0:02:51.204,0:02:52.871 "to our existing treaties with Arab chiefs 0:02:52.871,0:02:56.945 "we accept those limits,"[br]we accept those limits. 0:02:56.945,0:02:59.616 "As for those regions lying[br]within those frontiers 0:02:59.616,0:03:01.390 "wherein Great Britain is free to act 0:03:01.390,0:03:03.721 "without determinant to[br]the interest of her ally, 0:03:03.721,0:03:05.707 "France," so as long as[br]I'm not getting in trouble 0:03:05.707,0:03:07.872 with France, "I'm empowered in the name of 0:03:07.872,0:03:09.796 "the Government of Great[br]Britain to give the following 0:03:09.796,0:03:12.957 "assurances and make the following reply 0:03:12.957,0:03:15.739 "to your letter; Subject to[br]the above modifications," 0:03:15.739,0:03:19.212 so taking this part out,[br]"Great Britain is prepared 0:03:19.212,0:03:22.727 "to recognize and support the independence 0:03:22.727,0:03:25.992 "of the Arabs in all the[br]regions within the limits 0:03:25.992,0:03:27.527 "demanded by the Sharif of Mecca." 0:03:27.527,0:03:30.285 So, essentially it[br]included all of this region 0:03:30.285,0:03:32.707 and actually much beyond[br]what I'm showing here, 0:03:32.707,0:03:36.055 kind of present day Syria, Jordan, Iraq, 0:03:36.055,0:03:38.659 parts of present day Saudi Arabia. 0:03:38.659,0:03:40.700 All of that is essentially,[br]the British are saying, 0:03:40.700,0:03:43.202 yeah we're going to[br]allow you to have that, 0:03:43.202,0:03:44.758 an independent state there. 0:03:44.758,0:03:46.681 "Great Britain will[br]guarantee the Holy Places 0:03:46.681,0:03:48.120 "against all external aggression 0:03:48.120,0:03:50.121 "and will recognize their inviolability. 0:03:50.121,0:03:52.654 "... I am convinced that[br]this declaration will assure 0:03:52.654,0:03:54.656 "you beyond all possible doubt," 0:03:54.656,0:03:57.593 beyond all possible[br]doubt, "of the sympathy 0:03:57.593,0:04:00.878 "of Great Britain towards[br]the aspiration of her friends 0:04:00.878,0:04:03.022 "the Arabs, and will result in a firm 0:04:03.022,0:04:06.275 "and lasting alliance,[br]the immediate results 0:04:06.275,0:04:08.124 "of which will be the[br]expulsion of the Turks 0:04:08.124,0:04:10.204 "from the Arab countries and the freeing 0:04:10.204,0:04:12.098 "of the Arab peoples[br]from the Turkish yoke, 0:04:12.098,0:04:14.600 "which for so many years[br]has pressed heavily 0:04:14.600,0:04:16.255 "upon them." 0:04:16.255,0:04:18.690 This actually does help[br]to convince the Arab's 0:04:18.690,0:04:21.455 to rise up against the Turks, 0:04:21.455,0:04:23.796 against the Ottoman Empire,[br]they play a significant 0:04:23.796,0:04:25.470 role in the Palestine Campaign, 0:04:25.470,0:04:28.454 they rise up in June of 1916. 0:04:28.454,0:04:30.620 Now, the video that I did[br]on the Palestine Campaign, 0:04:30.620,0:04:32.349 I got several comments[br]of people being cynical 0:04:32.349,0:04:35.842 about Britain's intentions[br]and it does look like 0:04:35.842,0:04:38.342 the British were, indeed, cynical. 0:04:38.342,0:04:41.387 T.E. Lawrence famous[br]for Lawrence of Arabia 0:04:41.387,0:04:44.346 was often depicted as[br]this mystical fellow, 0:04:44.346,0:04:47.127 this guy who had this[br]kinship with the Arab's. 0:04:47.127,0:04:48.939 His actual correspondence with the 0:04:48.939,0:04:51.550 British government actually[br]do show that he did have 0:04:51.550,0:04:55.096 a kind of ... he was doing, I guess, 0:04:55.096,0:04:56.863 in the words of George[br]W. Bush, a little bit of 0:04:56.863,0:04:59.225 strategery, he had a more cynical view 0:04:59.225,0:05:01.922 of this relationship with the Arab's. 0:05:01.922,0:05:03.294 This is some correspondence that he wrote 0:05:03.294,0:05:06.466 in early 1916, so right[br]about the same time 0:05:06.466,0:05:08.375 that all of this was going on. 0:05:08.375,0:05:11.070 This says he's referring[br]to a possible Arab revolt, 0:05:11.070,0:05:12.221 or Hussein's activity. 0:05:12.221,0:05:15.578 "Hussein's activity[br]seems beneficial to us, 0:05:15.578,0:05:17.561 "because it matches[br]with our immediate aims, 0:05:17.561,0:05:20.247 "the break-up of the Islamic 'bloc' 0:05:20.247,0:05:22.030 "and the defeat and disruption of the 0:05:22.030,0:05:23.521 "Ottoman Empire." 0:05:23.521,0:05:24.966 Assuming he didn't really talk about this, 0:05:24.966,0:05:28.025 this being one of the[br]... the British didn't 0:05:28.025,0:05:30.321 talk about that when they[br]were talking to Hussein. 0:05:30.321,0:05:32.404 "If we can arrange that[br]this political change 0:05:32.404,0:05:35.036 "shall be a violent one,[br]we will have abolished 0:05:35.036,0:05:38.278 "the threat of Islam, by[br]dividing it against itself, 0:05:38.278,0:05:39.487 "in its very heart." 0:05:39.487,0:05:41.276 "There will then be a Khalifa," 0:05:41.276,0:05:42.789 kind of a seat of Islam, "in Turkey 0:05:42.789,0:05:47.001 "and a Khalifa in Arabia,[br]in theological warfare." 0:05:47.001,0:05:48.751 This is T.E. Lawrence, I got this from 0:05:48.751,0:05:50.122 The Golden Warrior: The Life and Legend 0:05:50.122,0:05:51.932 of Lawrence of Arabia. 0:05:51.932,0:05:54.540 Even this, somewhat[br]portrayed as a heroic figure, 0:05:54.540,0:05:57.382 was doing things in very strategic, 0:05:57.382,0:05:59.298 strategic terms. 0:05:59.298,0:06:01.761 To make things worse for the Arab's, 0:06:01.761,0:06:04.246 while the British were[br]trying to convince them 0:06:04.246,0:06:06.210 to revolt, they were also[br]in secret negotiations 0:06:06.210,0:06:08.656 with the French on how they would divide 0:06:08.656,0:06:11.701 the Middle East if they were able 0:06:11.701,0:06:13.448 to beat the Ottoman's. 0:06:13.448,0:06:15.601 At this point in the war[br]the British were already 0:06:15.601,0:06:17.697 making some progress in Mesopotamia, 0:06:17.697,0:06:19.715 but they really hadn't really started 0:06:19.715,0:06:22.055 on the Palestine Campaign right here. 0:06:22.055,0:06:23.564 So, this was all conjecture. 0:06:23.564,0:06:25.720 The British representatives was Sykes, 0:06:25.720,0:06:27.718 the French representative was Picot, 0:06:27.718,0:06:29.822 this was done with the[br]consent of the Russian's. 0:06:29.822,0:06:32.240 You didn't have a revolution in Russia 0:06:32.240,0:06:37.572 as of now, so in early[br]1916, in May this agreement 0:06:37.572,0:06:39.046 was concluded, this secret agreement. 0:06:39.046,0:06:46.221 You have the Sykes-Picot Agreement, 0:06:46.221,0:06:47.518 it's secret. 0:06:47.518,0:06:49.053 Let me write that, it[br]is a secret agreement 0:06:49.053,0:06:52.397 between Britain and France[br]and essentially they are 0:06:52.397,0:06:54.717 carving up the entire[br]Middle East between them. 0:06:54.717,0:06:56.884 This blue area right here,[br]this would be occupied 0:06:56.884,0:06:59.719 by the French, part of eastern Turkey 0:06:59.719,0:07:01.880 or modern day eastern[br]Turkey would be given 0:07:01.880,0:07:03.428 to the Russian's. 0:07:03.428,0:07:06.238 The British would be able to occupy, 0:07:06.238,0:07:09.051 would occupy southern Mesopotamia 0:07:09.051,0:07:12.264 essentially insuring protection of the oil 0:07:12.264,0:07:13.929 that is coming out of Persia. 0:07:13.929,0:07:15.589 Oil is becoming more[br]and more of a relevant 0:07:15.589,0:07:18.060 factor in kind of global power. 0:07:18.060,0:07:19.545 Then you have these two protectorates 0:07:19.545,0:07:20.985 right over here, which in theory could be 0:07:20.985,0:07:23.129 independent or an independent Arab state, 0:07:23.129,0:07:25.886 or two independent Arab[br]states under the protection. 0:07:25.886,0:07:27.484 Let me put that in quotes, 0:07:27.484,0:07:29.892 because "protectorate"[br]is always not as nice 0:07:29.892,0:07:32.722 as it sounds, under the[br]protection of the French 0:07:32.722,0:07:33.948 or the British which means, 0:07:33.948,0:07:35.518 "Hey you're an independent[br]state, but we will 0:07:35.518,0:07:38.304 "protect you in case[br]anyone wants to invade." 0:07:38.304,0:07:40.669 The reality of protectorate[br]is that it usually involves 0:07:40.669,0:07:44.198 the people doing the protecting have all 0:07:44.198,0:07:47.629 the real power and all the real influence. 0:07:47.629,0:07:49.597 The Sykes-Picot Agreement[br]also give this little 0:07:49.597,0:07:52.095 carve out to Britain so[br]they would have access 0:07:52.095,0:07:53.513 to the Mediterranean. 0:07:53.513,0:07:57.041 Palestine, or the Roman Kingdom of Judea, 0:07:57.041,0:08:04.472 this is carved out as a[br]separate international property 0:08:04.472,0:08:06.547 something that would be[br]administered by multiple 0:08:06.547,0:08:08.470 states and I guess the argument would be, 0:08:08.470,0:08:09.863 this is where the Holy Land's are, 0:08:09.863,0:08:12.557 multiple religions have[br]some of their holiest sites 0:08:12.557,0:08:15.539 within here and so they[br]carved it out like this. 0:08:15.539,0:08:17.349 Once again, this is all in secret, 0:08:17.349,0:08:19.270 they obviously don't want[br]the Arab's to find out 0:08:19.270,0:08:21.102 because they're about[br]to convince the Arab's 0:08:21.102,0:08:24.167 to join in a revolt against the Ottoman's. 0:08:24.167,0:08:27.689 Now, to make things ... once[br]again, this was all secret 0:08:27.689,0:08:30.839 up to this point in 1916[br]when it was all agreed on. 0:08:30.839,0:08:34.871 Then you forward to 1917 where we have 0:08:34.871,0:08:36.672 the famous Balfour Declaration. 0:08:36.672,0:08:42.068 This right over here is[br]the Balfour Declaration 0:08:42.068,0:08:43.888 and it was essentially a letter from 0:08:43.888,0:08:47.674 the Foreign Secretary[br]of the U.K., Balfour, 0:08:47.674,0:08:52.869 to Lord Rothschild who was[br]a leading [Briticizen] , 0:08:52.869,0:08:54.701 a leading member of the Jewish community. 0:08:54.701,0:08:57.670 In it he writes, "Dear Lord Rothschild, 0:08:57.670,0:08:59.864 "I have much pleasure in conveying to you, 0:08:59.864,0:09:01.454 "on behalf of His Majesty's Government, 0:09:01.454,0:09:03.680 "the following declaration of sympathy 0:09:03.680,0:09:06.792 "with Jewish Zionist[br]aspirations which has been 0:09:06.792,0:09:09.490 "submitted to, and[br]approved by, the Cabinet. 0:09:09.490,0:09:12.423 "His Majesty's Government view with favor 0:09:12.423,0:09:15.515 "the establishment in[br]Palestine of a national home," 0:09:15.515,0:09:18.418 of a national home,[br]"for the Jewish people, 0:09:18.418,0:09:20.408 "and will use their best[br]endeavors to facilitate 0:09:20.408,0:09:22.328 "the achievement of this objective. 0:09:22.328,0:09:25.046 "It being clearly understood[br]that nothing shall be done 0:09:25.046,0:09:27.718 "which may prejudice the[br]civil and religious rights 0:09:27.718,0:09:31.086 "of existing non-Jewish[br]communities in Palestine, 0:09:31.086,0:09:34.285 "or the rights and political[br]status enjoyed by Jews 0:09:34.285,0:09:35.868 "in any other country. 0:09:35.868,0:09:37.204 "I should be grateful if you would bring 0:09:37.204,0:09:38.832 "this declaration to the knowledge of the 0:09:38.832,0:09:40.275 "Zionist Federation." 0:09:40.275,0:09:42.415 Signed Artur Balfour. 0:09:42.415,0:09:44.196 In here, he's not explicitly saying ... 0:09:44.196,0:09:45.780 and they're being very careful here, 0:09:45.780,0:09:49.502 he's not saying we're supporting a state 0:09:49.502,0:09:51.000 for the Jewish people, but he's saying 0:09:51.000,0:09:53.513 he is supporting the[br]return of national home 0:09:53.513,0:09:55.010 for the Jewish people,[br]but at the same time, 0:09:55.010,0:09:57.035 he's saying that it[br]being clearly understood 0:09:57.035,0:09:59.237 that nothing shall be[br]done which may prejudice 0:09:59.237,0:10:01.025 the civil and religious[br]rights of the existing 0:10:01.025,0:10:02.825 non-Jewish communities in Palestine. 0:10:02.825,0:10:05.293 Needless to say, you[br]can imagine that this is 0:10:05.293,0:10:08.255 making the Arab's fairly uncomfortable. 0:10:08.255,0:10:10.983 On one side it seems, based on some of the 0:10:10.983,0:10:14.541 McMahon-Hussein[br]correspondences that were ... 0:10:14.541,0:10:17.241 especially in 1915, that[br]they were being promised 0:10:17.241,0:10:19.414 an independent Arab state which included 0:10:19.414,0:10:21.561 much of this territory,[br]but at the same time, 0:10:21.561,0:10:23.742 in the Balfour Declaration[br]the British were promising 0:10:23.742,0:10:27.593 to, kind of the Jewish diaspora, 0:10:27.593,0:10:29.304 that they could have a homeland there 0:10:29.304,0:10:31.845 and it might one day, who[br]knows, it might one day 0:10:31.845,0:10:34.534 turn in to some type of a state. 0:10:34.534,0:10:36.524 To make the Arab's even[br]more uncomfortable, 0:10:36.524,0:10:39.267 this was in November 2, 1917. 0:10:39.267,0:10:40.992 By the end of November,[br]you have to remember 0:10:40.992,0:10:44.357 that 1917 you first had a revolution, 0:10:44.357,0:10:46.332 in Russia the Czar was[br]overthrown in February 0:10:46.332,0:10:48.747 and in March of 1917, and October 0:10:48.747,0:10:50.339 the Bolshevik's take over. 0:10:50.339,0:10:52.691 They want to get out of the war, 0:10:52.691,0:10:53.995 they don't like all these secret deals, 0:10:53.995,0:10:56.260 not clear that they[br]would even get what they 0:10:56.260,0:10:57.348 were entitled to these secret deals, 0:10:57.348,0:11:00.430 so they actually release[br]all the entire text 0:11:00.430,0:11:02.694 of the Sykes-Picot Agreement. 0:11:02.694,0:11:04.025 They released this, so in the same month 0:11:04.025,0:11:06.479 you have the Arab's and the Ottoman's 0:11:06.479,0:11:08.029 and the Ottoman's were[br]very happy to see this 0:11:08.029,0:11:12.494 because it would undermine[br]the Arab's belief 0:11:12.494,0:11:14.354 in maybe supporting the allies, 0:11:14.354,0:11:16.904 but in one month you have[br]the Arab's finding out 0:11:16.904,0:11:18.764 about the Balfour Declaration,[br]which was a pulbic 0:11:18.764,0:11:20.439 declaration and then later that month 0:11:20.439,0:11:22.861 because of the Russian release of it, 0:11:22.861,0:11:25.680 the formally secret Sykes-Picot Agreement, 0:11:25.680,0:11:28.026 so it makes them very,[br]or at least a little bit 0:11:28.026,0:11:29.408 more suspicious. 0:11:29.408,0:11:33.040 So you can imagine the British Empire 0:11:33.040,0:11:35.041 trying to have it both[br]ways, to kind of have 0:11:35.041,0:11:37.255 support from the Jewish Diaspora 0:11:37.255,0:11:39.699 while at the same time have[br]support from the Arab's 0:11:39.699,0:11:41.596 in their revolt against the Ottoman's 0:11:41.596,0:11:44.069 would lead to very significant conflicts 0:11:44.069,0:11:45.849 over the decades to come. 0:11:45.849,0:11:47.625 Regardless of which side[br]of the issue you fall on, 0:11:47.625,0:11:51.012 a lot of the seed is[br]happening right around now, 0:11:51.012,0:11:52.358 right around World War I. 0:11:52.358,0:11:54.544 This has been admitted by[br]the British government. 0:11:54.544,0:11:57.633 This is right here, this was the then 0:11:57.633,0:11:59.670 Secretary, or Foreign[br]Secretary Jack Straw, 0:11:59.670,0:12:01.691 U.K Foreign Secretary in 2002. 0:12:01.691,0:12:03.831 This is a statement he made to the 0:12:03.831,0:12:07.095 News Statesman Magazine in 2002. 0:12:07.095,0:12:09.615 "A lot of the problems we[br]are having to deal with now, 0:12:09.615,0:12:11.365 "I have to deal with now," 0:12:11.365,0:12:12.996 he's the Foreign Secretary,[br]"are a consequence 0:12:12.996,0:12:14.667 "of our colonial past ..." 0:12:14.667,0:12:16.563 Consequence of our colonial past. 0:12:16.563,0:12:19.332 "The Balfour Declaration[br]and the contradictory 0:12:19.332,0:12:22.116 assurances," "and the[br]contradictory assurances 0:12:22.116,0:12:25.313 "which were being given to Palestinian's 0:12:25.313,0:12:27.519 "in private at the same time as they were 0:12:27.519,0:12:29.154 "being given to the Israelis ... 0:12:29.154,0:12:32.597 "again, an interesting history for us, 0:12:32.597,0:12:34.419 "but not an honorable one." 0:12:34.419,0:12:35.572 This is really just the beginning 0:12:35.572,0:12:37.591 as we'll see in future[br]videos as we go to the 0:12:37.591,0:12:41.577 Interwar period, the British[br]kind of go back and forth 0:12:41.577,0:12:44.610 on this issue over, over, and over again, 0:12:44.610,0:12:47.595 but needless to say,[br]it's lead to a very messy 0:12:47.595,0:12:50.917 situation in the modern Middle East.