Sykes Picot Agreement

Prior to the cold war, the main colonial influencers were Britain, France, Russia and the US. The Ottoman Empire was breaking up, and the British and French wanted to divide up the empires former land for their own respective economic gains. Russia was to be involved too, but they were later excluded. This was the Sykes Picot agreement. It was done in secret between the three countries of Britain, France and Russia. As previously stated the British and French wanted control in the region for economic reasons, but Russia wanted to acquire some land. It was the interest of the Russian Orthodox Church to acquire the Anatolia and as it contained Holy Land (BA 14).
Borders were determined by colonial powers creating a lasting need for those colonial
powers in the region. The McMahon Husayn correspondence were letters sent back and forth between Sharif Husayn and Henry McMahon. McMahon was Britain’s man in Egypt and Sharif was a want to be leader of the Hijaz, a region of Saudi Arabia. Sharif was willing to stage a revolt if the British supplied them and it was understood Sharif would be the leader after the revolt. Sharif wanted a land for the Hashemite’s to rule and be their leader. The revolt in the region backed by the colonial British would make sure that there was a need for the British presence. The necessity of supplies required for the Arab Revolt of 1916 would continue after the revolt as a minority that comes to power militarily would need further support to keep that power. A lack of British support would have likely stunted Sharif’s plans resulting in different borders and probably a different way the MENA viewed Britain.
The Balfour Declaration in 1917 didn’t have much effect on the ground, but did change how the British and US were viewed. The declaration showed support of the Zionists movement for a Jewish homeland in Palestine, by the British government. A colonial power, Britain, supported Zionists establishing a homeland in the MENA, more specifically Palestine. Furthermore the declaration was approved by the Wilson administration, who supported of self-determination. By publically backing the British who were now backing Zionists, it would be hard to see the US as anything other than a colonial power if you are in the MENA. The change in perception of these nations lead to a more polarizing view. If a large country like the US supports another major player like Britain, and you’re an Arab with land that a colonial power wants, you just became part of the out group and can work with the large colonial powers losing some of your way of life, your land your culture. Or you can become more conservative in your ways, possibly fight the large opposing force and defend your land that might be taken away.
Immediately before the cold war was the Second World War, and The holocaust brought a lot of attention and support to the Zionist movement. As terrible as the holocaust was, if you were from the MENA it shouldn’t have had much impact on you. World War 2 in Europe was a fight amongst the colonial powers, but it influenced the MENA when the Zionists drew a bunch of Jews to what is now Israel, along with some of the trained Jews that fought in the war. A massive influx of Jews from Europe along with the urge to establish statehood increased colonial presence and the culture they brought with them. Zionists put in cultural centers, synagogues, schools and institutions typically seen in those of colonial nations. Where there is one view there is always an opposing view. The Muslim Brotherhood was established in 1928 in Egypt, but had several split off groups. Now this didn’t specifically relate to the holocaust and Zionists setting up in Palestine, but it serves to illustrate that when an increased population of people foreign to your way of life start to increase in size near you, that can influence you to become more conservative and unite for no other reason than to oppose the change to your way of life.