Middle East - Policy, Administration and Nationalism

Question 1

Why did administrating Palestine prove a challenge for the British?

Answer 1

• Growing Jewish community and established Palestinians

- Pro-Jewish government in London and pro-Arab British men on the spot

Question 2

Who was appointed High Commissioner of Palestine and when?

Answer 2

• Herbert Samuel in British civil government set up in 1920

Question 3

Why were there problems over landholding in Palestine?

Answer 3

• Most Arabs were poor farmers renting land from absentee owners
• Jewish settlers were buying up land with the help of a Jewish National Fund which meant Arabs were evicted from their farms

Question 4

What happened in 1929 in Palestine? What did this lead to?

Answer 4

• Palestinian Arab riots, over 200 deaths
• Led to an enquiry to curb Jewish policy acquiring land and another in 1931 but this fell through because of pro-Jewish sentiments in Britain and US

Question 5

What and when was the Passfield White Paper? Who was Lord Passfield?

Answer 5

• Labour Secretary of State for the Colonies 1929-31
• Paper published 1930
• 1929 riots ultimately culminated in this policy which limited Jewish immigration into Palestine

Question 6

From 1933 what began causing what in Palestine?

Answer 6

• Nazi persecution of Jews in Germany led to an increasing number of Jews immigrating to Palestine

Question 7

What happened in 1936 in Palestine?

Answer 7

British sent 20,000 troops to Palestine to deal with Arab rioting and attacks on Jews

Question 8

What and when was the Peel Report?

Answer 8

• 1937

- Recommended partition of Palestine into Arab and Jewish areas with British authority over Jerusalem

Question 9

What was the response to the 1937 Peel Report?

Answer 9

• Opposed by Arabs who were in the majority therefore wanted one state which they could dominate
• Similar to Hindus in India

Question 10

What was British policy in Palestine changed to in 1939?

Answer 10

• In fear of an Italian attack on Egypt, British called for a Palestinian state where Jews currently there have the right to a ‘national homeland’
• Jewish immigration restricted to 15,000/year for 5 years
• Planned to declare Palestine an independent state in 10 years with majority Arabs

Question 11

Why was Palestine strategically important for the British?

Answer 11

It was a buffer from potential threats to the Suez Canal

Question 12

How did the number of Jews living in Palestine increase from 1926-1936?

Answer 12

1926: 150,00
1936: 400,000

Question 13

What and when was the Balfour Declaration?

Answer 13

• 1917

- Promised Jews a homeland (vs. Passfield Paper)

Question 14

What happened in Egypt in 1919?

Answer 14

• A countrywide revolution in response to British exiling nationalist leader Zaghlul
• Civil disobedience
• Riots, demos, strikes
• Attacks on British military bases, civilians and personnel
• At least 800 Egyptians killed and 1600 wounded

Question 15

What was the official colonial relation between the British and Egypt by 1914?

Answer 15

The British made Egypt an official protectorate in 1914 to prevent them from allying with Germany

Question 16

Who did the British make King of Iraq and when? Why was this ideal?

Answer 16

• King Faisal I
• 1921
• Ideal compromise because he was a renowned Arab Muslim leader but also collaborative with the British

Question 17

When was Egypt granted independence?

Answer 17

Following the Milner Report, made independent in February 1922

Question 18

What is a caveat to Egyptian independence?

Answer 18

• Still a client state i.e. veiled protectorate
• British maintained control of Suez region and foreign affairs
• British troops remained to defend and occupy the Suez Canal Zone (until 1936)

Question 19

What was the 1936 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty?

Answer 19

• British required to withdraw all troops
• Except those necessary to protect Suez Canal
• 10,000 troops remained

Question 20

What Empire was Iraq/Mesopotamia a part of before the end of WWI?

Answer 20

Ottoman Empire

Question 21

What is the earliest example of nationalism in Iraq as a result WWI?

Answer 21

• 1920
• Muslim demos in Baghdad against British rule led to full scale revolt
• Kurds in northern Iraq rebelled demanding independence
• British intervened militarily mainly with air power
• Cost Britain more to put down than in all her wartime operations in the middle east
• More than 400 British soldiers died

Question 22

When was the Cairo Conference? What came out of it?

Answer 22

• 1921
• Despite limited Arab rep, British allowed for some local self-gov
• British maintained full control of military and foreign affairs

Question 23

What was the 1922 Anglo-Iraqi Treaty?

Answer 23

• Confirmed King Faisal I as King of Iraq

Question 24

Following the 1922 Anglo-Iraqi Treaty, what did the British continue?

Answer 24

• Appoint British advisers to senior government departments to ensure British control over local Iraqi affairs
• Control major military bases and had influence over Iraqi army which it trained

Question 25

What was the 1930 Anglo-Iraqi Treaty?

Answer 25

• Promised full consultation between the British and Iraqis on foreign policy
• Provided path for independence

Question 26

When was Iraq granted full independence?

Answer 26

October 1932

Question 27

What is a caveat to Iraqi independence?

Answer 27

• Britain maintained air bases
• Influence and control over oil industry
• Not really substantive until after WWII

Question 28

Why were Arab nations angry following WWI?

Answer 28

• British refused to allow them to put their case forward at Paris Peace Conference
• British exiled their leaders

Question 29

How would you summarise the Middle East in the inter-war period?

Answer 29

• British rule challenged by nationalism
• Quick concessions in Egypt and Iraq strengthened because didn’t have cost of administration but maintained political and economic monopolies
• Arab and Jewish conflict and nationalism indirectly challenged British