How the Ottoman Empire was Carved Up (Short Animated Documentary)
TLDRThe video script delves into the geopolitical machinations during World War I, focusing on the Ottoman Empire's alliance with the Central Powers and the consequential scramble for its territories by the British, French, and Russians. It outlines key agreements like the Constantinople Agreement, Treaty of London, and the pivotal Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916, which carved up Ottoman lands, promising the Sharif of Mecca a Kingdom of Arabia in exchange for support against the Ottomans. The script further explains how post-war realities led to Britain and France gaining most of the territories, with Britain unilaterally issuing the Balfour Declaration supporting a Jewish nation. The video concludes by highlighting the long-term impacts of these agreements, which shaped the modern Middle East, including the establishment of states like Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Kuwait, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
Takeaways
- 🏰 The Ottoman Empire's alliance with the Central Powers during World War I put its existence at risk, leading to immediate discussions among the British, French, and Russians on how to divide its territories.
- 📜 Several agreements were made, including the 1915 Constantinople Agreement giving Russia control over Constantinople and Eastern Anatolia, and the Treaty of London, which granted land to Italy.
- 🤝 The Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 was the most significant as it was the closest to being implemented, dividing the Ottoman Empire's territories between Britain and France.
- ⚔️ The Ottomans faced attacks from multiple fronts, including the British and French in the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia, the Russians to the north, the Greeks to the west, and the Arab revolt to the south.
- 🕌 Britain's cunning plan involved promising the Sharif of Mecca, Hussein bin Ali, an empire of his own, known as the Kingdom of Arabia, in exchange for assisting against the Ottomans.
- 🔍 While the Arab revolt was ongoing, the British and French negotiated the actual division of the land, with Sir Mark Sykes for Britain and George Picot for France determining the territories.
- 🇫🇷 France sought to gain control over Mosul due to its oil resources, and Britain agreed on the condition that France also took additional territories to avoid sharing a border with Russia.
- 🕊️ The agreement stipulated that Palestine would become an internationally run protectorate, a point that was later contradicted by the Balfour Declaration supporting a Jewish nation under British control.
- 📉 The implementation of the Sykes-Picot Agreement was hindered by the Russian Revolution and the Balfour Declaration, leading to Britain gaining more land and influence in the region.
- 👑 King Hussein was ultimately betrayed and his promised Kingdom of Arabia was significantly reduced, leading to his rule over the Kingdom of Hejaz before it was conquered by the British.
- 🌍 The long-term consequences of the Sykes-Picot Agreement are profound, as it led to the creation of modern Middle Eastern states such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Kuwait, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
Q & A
Why did the Ottoman Empire's siding with the Central Powers during WWI put its existence at risk?
-The Ottoman Empire's decision to side with the Central Powers and declare war on the Allies led to immediate discussions among the British, French, and Russians on how to divide the Ottoman territories, thus putting its existence at risk.
What were the key agreements that divided the Ottoman territories during WWI?
-The key agreements were the 1915 Constantinople agreement, which gave Russia control over Constantinople and Eastern Anatolia, the Treaty of London, which granted land to Italy, and most importantly, the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement, which was the only one that came close to being implemented.
Which territories did the Sykes-Picot Agreement allocate to Russia and Italy?
-According to the script, the Constantinople agreement of 1915 gave Russia control over Constantinople and Eastern Anatolia, while the Treaty of London in the same year allocated land to Italy.
What was the British offer to the Sharif of Mecca, Hussein bin Ali, in exchange for his assistance against the Ottomans?
-Britain offered the Sharif of Mecca, Hussein bin Ali, an empire of his own, known as the Kingdom of Arabia, which would be free of European interference, in exchange for his assistance against the Ottomans.
How did the Sykes-Picot Agreement affect the Arab revolt led by Hussein bin Ali?
-The Sykes-Picot Agreement significantly affected the Arab revolt as it reduced the size of the promised Kingdom of Arabia and did not inform Hussein bin Ali of the changes until after the war, potentially affecting his motivation to fight.
What were the territories allocated to Britain and France according to the Sykes-Picot Agreement?
-The Sykes-Picot Agreement allocated lower Mesopotamia centered on Basra to Britain and a directly ruled colony in Syria and a puppet state centered on Mosul to France.
Why did France push for control of Mosul?
-France pushed for control of Mosul due to the presence of oil, which was a valuable resource and a reason for their interest in the region.
What was the significance of the Balfour Declaration in relation to the Sykes-Picot Agreement?
-The Balfour Declaration, issued by Britain, supported the creation of a Jewish nation in Palestine, which would remain under British control until it was ready for independence. This unilateral action by Britain reneged on its agreements with France regarding the international administration of Palestine.
How did the fall of the Russian Empire impact the implementation of the Sykes-Picot Agreement?
-The fall of the Russian Empire and its subsequent exit from the war meant that Russia's claims to Eastern Anatolia were no longer relevant, allowing Britain to push for more land to the north.
What were the long-term consequences of the Sykes-Picot Agreement for the Middle East?
-The long-term consequences of the Sykes-Picot Agreement include the creation of modern Middle Eastern states such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Kuwait, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, with borders that were influenced by the agreement.
Who were the key negotiators of the Sykes-Picot Agreement and what did they determine?
-The key negotiators of the Sykes-Picot Agreement were Sir Mark Sykes for Britain and George Picot for France. They determined the division of the Ottoman Empire's territories between their respective countries.
Outlines
🏛️ The Ottoman Empire's Dilemma and Partition Agreements
The paragraph discusses the precarious position of the Ottoman Empire during World War I after aligning with the Central Powers and declaring war on the Allies. It outlines the immediate discussions among the British, French, and Russians on how to partition the Ottoman territories post-war, leading to several agreements including the Constantinople agreement and the Treaty of London. The Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 is highlighted as the most significant, detailing the division of Ottoman lands between Britain and France, with Britain promising the Sharif of Mecca, Hussein bin Ali, an empire of his own in exchange for his assistance against the Ottomans. However, this promise was overshadowed by secret negotiations between Britain and France, which led to a significantly reduced Kingdom of Arabia and the establishment of colonies and puppet states.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ottoman Empire
💡Central Powers
💡Anton Powers
💡Treaty of London (1915)
💡Sykes-Picot Agreement
💡Arab Revolt
💡Balfour Declaration
💡Kingdom of Hejaz
💡Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
💡Internationally Run Protectorate
💡Modern Middle East
Highlights
The Ottoman Empire's alliance with the Central Powers and declaration of war on the Allies jeopardized its existence.
The Allies, including Britain, France, and Russia, immediately began discussing the division of Ottoman territory post-war.
The 1915 Constantinople agreement granted Russia control over Constantinople and Eastern Anatolia.
The Treaty of London in 1915 promised land in the south to Italy.
The Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 was the most significant as it was nearly implemented, dividing the Ottoman territories between Britain and France.
The Ottomans faced attacks from multiple fronts during the war, including the British, French, Russians, Greeks, and the Arab revolt.
Britain's promise to Sharif of Mecca, Hussein bin Ali, of an Arab empire in exchange for assistance against the Ottomans.
The Arab revolt was initiated based on Britain's promise of a kingdom free of European interference.
Behind the scenes, Britain and France were negotiating the actual division of the Ottoman lands, despite promises to the Arabs.
France's insistence on its claims due to prior investments in the region, despite Britain's disclosure of promises to the Arabs.
The Sykes-Picot Agreement specified the division of territories, with Britain gaining control over lower Mesopotamia and a puppet state in northern Arabia.
France gained a directly ruled colony and a puppet state, with a push for Mosul due to oil interests.
Britain's strategic decision to avoid sharing a border with Russia by granting France additional territories.
The agreement that Palestine would become an internationally run Protectorate.
The implementation of the Sykes-Picot Agreement was limited after the Russian Empire's withdrawal and the Balfour Declaration supporting a Jewish nation.
Britain's unilateral reneging on agreements with France due to its control over conquered territories.
The end result saw Britain gaining numerous colonies and protectorates, while France gained Syria and Lebanon.
King Hussein's disappointment and subsequent rule over the kingdom of Hejaz before it was conquered by the British.
The long-term consequences of the agreement led to the creation of modern Middle Eastern states such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Kuwait, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
Transcripts
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