Britain Redrew The Middle East Map

The Creation of the Modern Middle East

On May 8, 1916, Sir Mark Sykes and François Georges-Picot, two diplomats from Britain and France, met in London to discuss the division of the Middle East. This meeting would change the course of history, as Sykes and Picot began drawing lines on a map that would eventually become the borders of modern-day Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. Historian David Fromkin notes that this meeting marked the beginning of a new era in the region.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the modern Middle East was formed naturally, with countries emerging based on ethnic and religious identities. The standard story goes that the region was always divided along these lines, with Iraq, Syria, and other countries being distinct entities for centuries. However, this narrative overlooks the significant role that European powers, particularly Britain, played in shaping the region's borders and political landscape.

What History Actually Shows

Historians like Malcolm Yapp and Roger Louis have extensively documented the role of Britain in creating the modern Middle East. On January 3, 1919, the Paris Peace Conference began, where the Allied powers, including Britain, would decide the fate of the Ottoman Empire's territories. The British government's decision to support the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, as stated in the Balfour Declaration of 1917, was a key factor in the region's division. According to historian Elizabeth Monroe, the British government's primary concern was to maintain control over the region's oil resources and strategic trade routes. On April 25, 1920, the San Remo Conference was held, where the Allied powers officially recognized the British and French mandates over the region. Historian Eugene Rogan notes that the conference marked the beginning of a new era of colonial rule in the Middle East, with Britain and France exerting significant influence over the region's politics and economies. By 1922, the British had established the modern state of Iraq, with King Faisal as its ruler, and had begun to draw the borders of other countries in the region, often with little regard for ethnic or religious divisions.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Arnold Toynbee and policymakers such as Winston Churchill actively worked to downplay the significance of the Sykes-Picot Agreement, which led to the deliberate omission of this history from mainstream narratives. The British government, in particular, made a concerted effort to conceal the details of the agreement, fearing that it would fuel anti-colonial sentiment and undermine their authority in the region. One concrete reason for this suppression was the need to maintain control over the newly created states and to prevent the rise of nationalist movements that could challenge British dominance. By suppressing this history, the British government was able to maintain a tight grip on the region and shape the narrative to suit their interests. The decision to classify documents related to the agreement and to restrict access to them also contributed to the erasure of this history from public consciousness. As a result, the story of how the British created the Middle East with a pencil and a map after WWI was relegated to the footnotes of history, known only to a select few.

The Ripple Effect

The artificial borders created by the British led to the displacement of millions of people, as communities were suddenly divided by newly drawn borders. The Kurdish population, for example, was split across several countries, including Turkey, Iraq, and Syria, leading to ongoing struggles for self-determination. One specific modern consequence of this event is the existence of the Turkish-Syrian border, which has been a major flashpoint in recent years, with millions of refugees fleeing across it to escape conflict. This border, drawn with a pencil on a map, has had a profound impact on the lives of people living in the region, shaping their identities, loyalties, and destinies.

The Line That Says It All

The British government's decision to divide the Middle East into artificial states has resulted in a century of conflict, displacement, and instability, with the region still grappling with the consequences of those hastily drawn borders.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the Sykes-Picot Agreement and the creation of the modern Middle East after World War I.