The Middle East

1
The Middle East

• A History from the Crusades to today

2
The Crusades Why?
Muslim armies sweep through North Africa, and
cross onto the European mainland via Spain and
the straights of Gibraltar. They are finally
stopped by Charlemagne III, King of the Franks.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was razed, and
several Christian pilgrims were killed
(1009). Raids through out Mediterranean coastal
cities with Christians responding in kind.
Turkish forces threatened the Byzantine Empire
(last remnant of the Eastern Roman Empire) with
complete destruction.
Spurred by the prophet Muhammad's idea of Holy
War, Arabic armies conquer Palestine in the 7th
century A.D.
3
The Crusades
Reconquista - to retake the holy lands, beginning
with Jerusalem, and a just war against the
unbelievers. 1st Crusade was successful in
capturing Jerusalem in 1099 until Prince Saladin
recaptured it 88 years later. Multiple Crusades
followed - none managed to reclaim the Holy
lands, and are accepted in modern Europe as being
a disgraceful failure. The Aftermath For 600
years, there would be no Christian power in the
Middle East The Ottoman Empire rises based from
present day Turkey Assaulted from all quarters,
the Muslim world turned in on itself. It became
oversensitive and defensive attitudes that
grew steadily worse - Historian Peter
Mansfield
4
Exiled Judaism

• Meanwhile, the Jewish people had been exiled from
  their homeland.
• They were restricted to marginal occupations -
  money lending and tax collection - which worsened
  the publics distrust of them
• Whilst no crusade was ever declared against the
  Jews, forces moving through Europe frequently
  massacred them.

5
The Ottoman Empire
6
The Ottoman Empire
7
The Ottoman Empire

• Ottoman Empire expansion facilitated by the
  weakness of other Arabic groups in the region
• Ottoman Empire expansion into the Middle East
  places them in full control of trade routes from
  Europe to the far East
• Ottoman Empire represents the only
  technologically competitive Islamic nation with
  the science explosion about to occur in Europe

8
Colonization

• The expansion of European powers into less
  developed territories for personal gain is
  allowed through rapid developments in the areas
  of
• Metal Working (notably steel)
• Seafaring
• Medical breakthroughs
• Muskets
• Economics
• With the last two, Europe becomes the first
  region of earth to enter the industrial age,
  allowing for superior production of arms and
  materials, and European powers begin to rise
• Britain becomes the first Christian state in 600
  years to hold influence in the Middle East with a
  vested interest in the Suez Canal.
• With Christianity returning to the Holy lands,
  Jewish pilgrims slowly begin to filter back as
  well.

9
The Suez Canal

• A large artificial canal in Egypt, built by the
  British Empire to reduce sailing costs from
  England to India
• 163km long, 300m wide at its narrowest
• Links the Mediterranean and Red seas
• Removes 11500 miles from a trip that would
  otherwise have to circumvent Africa.
• Three times the British are forced to defend the
  Suez Canal
• Napoleonic Wars (France)
• World War I (Ottoman Empire)
• World War II (Germany/Italy)

10
440km
11
1190km
12
3910km
13
15500km
14
World War I (1914-1918)

• The might of European Imperialism pitted against
  itself for no apparent purpose.
• Allied Powers
• England, France, Russia, Italy, United States
  (later)
• Central Powers
• Germany, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Ottoman Empire
• Ottoman Empires involvement threatens British
  Empires assets in Egypt.
• A British Intelligence Officer is sent to assist
  the Arab revolt against their Turkish
  administration.
• His name is Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward
  Lawrence a.k.a. Lawrence of Arabia

15
Lawrence of Arabia

• Lawrences main success, was his ability to unify
  the Arab forces in their struggle against the
  Ottomans, instead of letting tribal rivalries
  dominate.
• Due to this, Arab irregulars proved immensely
  capable guerilla operators, coordinating well
  with the main British army.
• Lawrence supported the cause of Arabic
  Independence, and drew up a map of his vision for
  the future of the middle east according to the
  sentimentalities of the individual Arabic peoples.

16
(No Transcript)
17
Middle Eastern Aftermath of WWI

• The complete collapse of the Ottoman Empire left
  a power vacuum in the Middle East.
• European powers shattered by high expenditure and
  loss of manpower.
• In the region, Britain was literally the last
  empire standing.
• Calls for Arab self-rule begin, as does that for
  a Jewish free state in modern day Israel.
• Underlying assumption, that excepting the Suez
  Canal and in a religious sense, the region is of
  no great strategic value.
• How much longer are valuable lives to be
  sacrificed in the vain endeavour to impose upon
  the Arab population an elaborate and expensive
  administration with they never asked for and do
  not want. The Times
• With the untimely death of T. E. Lawrence, it is
  left to Winston Churchill to deal with the
  region, in the easiest manner possible.

18
(No Transcript)
19
Global Aftermath of WWI

• The Birth of the first true modern superpowers
• The Rise of the United States of America
• The October Revolution Creation of the Union of
  Soviet Socialist Republics
• The Treaty of Versailles's
• The beginning of World War II
• The League of Nations
• Making sure it never happens again

20
Between the Wars

• Arabs continue to struggle for independence
  Egypt, Iraq and Syria take steps toward this end,
  although French and British forces do not
  formally leave until after WWII.
• A Zionist (Jewish) movement continues to build up
  in Modern Israel
• British hold on Iraq becomes tenuous
• Warring Sunni and Shiite factions cannot be kept
  apart
• Kurds continue to fight for independence first
  against Turkey and the Britain
• Revolts put down with tactics to produce minimum
  casualties to the European powers without much
  care for locals.
• Regions handed over to local strongmen who were
  Western friendly.
• I do not understand this squeamishness about the
  use of gas. I am strongly in favour of using
  poisoned gas against uncivilized tribes.
  Winston Churchill.
• You are flying in the face of four millennia of
  history. Unknown American Missionary

21
World War II (1939-1945)

• Anti-Semitism reaches its climax with the
  Holocaust around 6 million Jews and other
  ethnic minorities are sent to their deaths in
  Nazi occupied territories.
• Identifying early a shift in the relative value
  of raw materials, the Allies (Britain, United
  States and Soviet Union) move in to secure the
  oil fields of Iran, bolstering their supply until
  wars end.

22
Global Aftermath of WWII

• A development in the understanding of modern war
• Early German tactics (Blitzkrieg), the Japanese
  bombing of Pearl Harbour, and subsequent Allied
  operations demonstrated the value of newly
  developed technologies most particularly
  aircraft.
• For sustained use of such machines, vast reserves
  of Oil are necessary.
• Nuclear Weapons
• Potentially, humanity could wipe itself out
  anti-war measures were developed to an extent
  never before seen.
• The United Nations
• A carry on from the League of Nations, the UN has
  the added ability to forge international law, and
  implement it with its own military force should
  enough countries agree.

23
Middle Eastern Aftermath of WWII

• The Creation of Israel
• Alienated from Europe
• 1947, UN proposes Partition Plan of Palestine
• State of Israel declares its independence (1948)
  and is immediately recognized by both the US and
  USSR
• Armies from Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt and
  Jordan join Palestinian irregulars in an attempt
  to crush the new state.
• Israel repulses attacks and seizes parts of the
  surrounding country (Most notably, the western
  part of Jerusalem)

24
(No Transcript)
25
(No Transcript)
26
(No Transcript)
27
(No Transcript)
28
The Suez Crisis (1956)

• Suez Canal revitalized with Oil supply coming in
  from Persian Gulf 2/3 of European Oil is
  supplied through the Canal
• British own 44 of canal, with estimated profit
  25million per capita
• 1954, General Gamel Abdel Nasser takes control of
  Egypt being the largest Islamic nation at the
  time, it falls to him to lead the Muslims out of
  suppression
• U.S.S.R. suppress a revolt in Hungary, and
  receives heavy international criticism from the
  United States.
• General Nasser turns to the U.S.S.R. for weapons
  supply in the build up to an imminent conflict
  with Israel
• United States withdraws financial support for
  Egyptian Aswan Dam project, citing links to
  Moscow
• To raise funds for the Aswan Dam, Egypt
  nationalizes the Suez Canal
• Britain, France and Israel develop Operation
  Musketeer to try and retake the Suez, but fail to
  check plan with the United States
• Combined Coalition attack succeeds in capturing
  the Suez Canal
• U.S. unable to condone invasion of Egyptian
  whilst criticizing invasion of Hungary
• Soviet Union raises the bar, threatening to
  intervene on behalf of Egypt
• U.S. forces a ceasefire and by 24th Dec
  Anglo-French forces retire

29
Aftermath of the Suez Crisis

• British influence in the region relegated to
  secondary status
• Egypt continues to consider a state of war
  existing between itself and Israel Israeli
  ships cannot transit the canal to their supply
  destinations in Africa
• UN peacekeeping force the first ever in history
  occupies the Sanai desert at the request of
  both Israel and Egypt
• Israel responds to the Egyptian blockade through
  constucting a port at Eilat

30
(No Transcript)
31
6 day war (1967)

• UNEF withdraws from the Sanai at the request of
  Egypt U Thant is later blamed for this move
  leading to the Arab-Israeli Conflict
• Egyptian forces seize the Straights of Tiran and
  prohibit ships flying the Star of David
• Headwater diversion plan water will not flow
  down stream into the sea of Galilee, but rather
  to dams in Syria and Jordan

• Muslims call for a Holy War and Nasser runs
  out of excuses with the withdrawal of the UNEF
• The Soviet Union continues to deny there is an
  emergency situation in the UN
• U.S. 6th Fleet is moved to the region

32
(No Transcript)
33
6 day war (1967)

• United States urges Israel to not be the
  aggressor and launch a pre-emptive strike
• Israels 50,000 regulars are faced with 300,000
  from an alliance of Egypt, Syria, Jordan and
  Saudi Arabia
• Israel has 197 combat aircraft, pitted against
  812 newly supplied Soviet aircraft
• As a result, they execute Operation Strike Zion
  and attack without Anglo-French intervention

34
(No Transcript)
35
(No Transcript)
36
(No Transcript)
37
Arab-Israeli wars

• War of Attrition (1968-1970) Egypt, Syria
• Yom Kippur War (1973) Egypt, Syria
• South Lebanon Conflict (1978) P.L.O.
• Lebanon War (1982) P.L.O.
• South Lebanon Conflict (1982-2000) Hezbollah
• First Intifada (1987 1991) - Palestine
• Second Intifada (2000 ongoing) - Palestine
• Lebanon War (2006) - Hezbollah

38
Iranian Democracy (1953)

• Iran forms a democratic government, and elects
  Mohammed Mossadegh as Prime Minister
• Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (now known as British
  Petroleum BP) supports the British economy
• Mossadegh elected on the back of radical policy
  aiming to remove British corruption and
  opposed to foreign intervention in Iranian
  export matters he is also supported by a
  faction of socialists in government
• Fearing Iran will be integrated into the Soviet
  Union, the British (with CIA backing) move to
  overthrow Mossadegh
• Results
• Short term secures valuable oil resources for
  Allies against U.S.S.R.
• Long term makes a mockery of democracy in the
  Middle East

39
Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)

• With the neutrality of Egypt, the remaining
  Arabic powers rival for dominance in the region.
• Iraqs invasion of Iran in 1980, by Saddam
  Hussein is a step towards making Iraq the
  dominant power
• A throwback to old rivalries
• "Iraq's dispute with Iran is in connection with
  Arabistan (Khuzestan) which is part of Iraq's
  soil and was annexed to Iran during foreign
  rule.
• U.S. supports Hussein, as relations with Iran
  have been unstable since the fall of Iranian
  Democracy
• Use of poisoned gas by Iraq against Iran, and
  Iraqi Kurds
• U.N. condemns Iraq, and the war is ended through
  a U.N. imposed cease-fire.

40
(No Transcript)
41
Gulf War (1991)

• In another attempt to cement Iraq as the dominant
  Arab nation Saddam Hussein invades Kuwait (Aug
  2nd, 1990)
• The move places him in a position to seize oil
  fields in Saudi Arabia long term rivals
• Saudi Arabia is the primary oil supplier for the
  United States

• Immediate economic sanctions are placed by the
  U.N. followed by an Coalition invasion force.
• Iraq attempts to use gas-armed Scud missiles, but
  they are rendered ineffective by the Patriot
  missile.

42
Coalition forces from 28 different nations took
part in the 1991 Gulf War against Saddam
Husseins Iraq
"...an attempt by any outside force to gain
control of the Persian Gulf region will be
regarded as an assault on the vital interests of
the United States of America, and such an assault
will be repelled by any means necessary,
including military force." President Jimmy
Carter
43
The Climate Today

• Modern technology in the west has become so
  advanced, that enemies resort to guerilla and
  terrorists tactics to wage war
• Israel continues to defend against militant
  elements in Lebanon and Syria

• Iraq continues to seek dominance in the region
  theorized that they would attempt to do so
  through developing WMD.
• Saudi Arabia and the U.S. continue to benefit
  from strong diplomatic ties with each other.
• U.N. security forces are frequently required in
  the region