PREFACE
ThisbookexaminesissuesfromWorldWar I(1914-1918)intheMiddle
Eastthatarestillrelevanttoday.'Evenatpresent,problemsinthe
regionstemfromthewarandthepostwarpeacesettlements-con-
tradictoryagreementsandbrokenpromisesmadebyBritainand
FrancewithArableaders,mostnotably-whichtodayremainunre-
solvedsourcesoffrustrationandbloodshed.
Historiographyonthewar intheMiddleEast hasemphasizedover-
whelminglyBritain'srole inencouragingtheArabrevoltin 1916
againstTurkeyandin establishingtheAllies' controversialpeace
settlements.ThelatterdismantledwhatremainedoftheOttoman
EmpireandplacedalmostallofitsformerArab territoriesunder
BritishandFrenchrule.Mostwritershavefocusedona keyques-
tion:whatinfluencedtheBritishtoimplementthesepolicies?They
representedatthetimearadicalbreakwithBritain'straditionalfor-
eignpolicyofpreservingtheOttomanEmpire,andtheywere to have
major,long-rangeconsequencesfortheMiddleEastandtheworld.
T. E. Lawrence,theprincipalBritishfigureintheArabrevolt,as-
sertedinthe1920SthatBritainhadactedtoassisttheArabs in achiev-
ingindependencefromarottenanddyingTurkey.'Subsequently,
however,historiansGeorgeAntonius,ElieKedourie,BrintonCooper
Busch,C.ErnestDawn,RogerAdelson,SuleimanMousa,andAlbert
Hourani,andmostrecentlythejournalistDavidFromkin,have dis-
creditedthatview.TheirresearchdemonstratesthatBritainbased
itsWorldWarIpoliciesintheMiddleEastonmilitaryexpedience,
onthefearofRussianandFrenchexpansionintheregion,andon
London'sintentiontodominatetheArabsandJewsandusethemto
replacetheTurkishempireas asafeguardforBritain'spostwar
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