How the Middle East Got That Way
Name:
Date:
Period:
CRITICAL READING
Answer the following questions based on the article.
1) At the beginning of World War I, the area now known as the Middle East was part of
__________.
a. Britain
b. France
c. the Ottoman Empire
d. the Mughal Empire
2) According to the article, which is true of the Sykes-Picot Agreement?
a. It was accepted by Arab leaders as a path to peace.
b. It was created in secret.
c. It was based on long-standing divisions between ethnic & religious groups.
d. All of the above
3) Britain & France had promised Arab leaders autonomous (self-governing) lands if the Arabs
would __________.
a. give Britain & France access to the oil reserves in the Middle East
b. put aside ethnic & religious differences & work toward peace
c. denounce Russia & its rulers
d. join Britain & France in fighting against the Turks
4) At the end of World War I, the League of Nations authorized mandates that __________.
a. gave Middle Eastern countries complete independence
b. gave Britain & France some control over policy & trade in the Middle East
c. dictated which ethnic & religious groups could live in which Middle Eastern country
d. none of the above
5) The central idea of the article is that __________.
a. political instability in the Middle East is here to stay
b. the Middle East should return to its pre-World War I borders
c. an agreement carved out during World War I may have a lot to do with the problems in
the Middle East today
d. the possibility of peace in the Middle East is currently in the hands of British & French
diplomats
6) You can infer from the article that the US’s stand on the Middle East immediately following
World War I was that __________.
a. the League of Nations must squash conflicts between rival religious groups
b. the Middle East belonged under Turkish rule
c. the Middle East lands should be autonomous (self-governing)
d. the Sykes-Picot Agreement was fair & necessary
7) Which phrase from the article best supports your answer to question #7?
a. “Sunni & Shi’ite Muslims . . . are two distinct sects that have been at odds for centuries.”
b. “. . . Americans tried installing a coalition government of Sunnis, Shi’ites, & Kurds.”
c. “. . . Wilson advocated for self-determination of these lands in his Fourteen Points.”
d. “The US has supported moderate rebels . . .”
CRITICAL THINKING
8) Why was the fate of the Middle East up in the air toward the end of World War I?
9) What concerns did Britain & France focus on as they divided up the former Ottoman territory?
What did they ignore?
10) How is the Sykes-Picot Agreement affecting Syria today?
11) In your opinion, is the Sykes-Picot Agreement to blame for most of the tensions in the Middle
East today? Explain your views.
12) Based on the article, how do you think the US & other world powers should deal with the Syrian
civil war?
USING PRIMARY SOURCES
Read the excerpt from the Sykes-Picot Agreement & answer the questions on the back.
Excerpt from the Sykes-Picot Agreement, 1916
It is accordingly understood between the French and British governments:
That France and Great Britain are prepared to recognize and protect an independent Arab state or a
confederation of Arab states (a) and (b) marked on the annexed map, under the suzerainty of an Arab chief. That in
area (a) France, and in area (b) Great Britain, shall have priority of right of enterprise and local loans. That in area
(a) France, and in area (b) Great Britain, shall alone supply advisers or foreign functionaries at the request of the
Arab state or confederation of Arab states.
That in the blue area France, and in the red area Great Britain, shall be allowed to establish such direct or
indirect administration or control as they desire and as they may think fit to arrange with the Arab state or
confederation of Arab states.
That in the brown area there shall be established an international administration, the form of which is to be
decided upon after consultation with Russia, and subsequently in consultation with the other allies, and the
representatives of the Shereef of Mecca.
That Great Britain be accorded . . . the ports of Haifa and Acre . . .
That Alexandretta shall be a free port as regards the trade of the British Empire, and that there shall be no
discrimination in port charges or facilities as regards British shipping and British goods . . .
That Haifa shall be a free port as regards the trade of France, her dominions and protectorates, and there
shall be no discrimination in port charges or facilities as regards French shipping and French goods . . .
The British and French government, as the protectors of the Arab state, shall agree that they will not
themselves acquire and will not consent to a third power acquiring territorial possessions in the Arabian peninsula,
nor consent to a third power installing a naval base either on the east coast, or on the islands, of the Red Sea. . . .
Glossary:
The letters a and b refer to areas marked on a map that accompanied the agreement.
A suzerainty is a relationship between states in which a more powerful state controls certain aspects of the less powerful
state, like its foreign policy. In this case, the Arab chief controlled some internal matters but Britain or France had ultimate
authority over important issues like trade.
The word enterprise describes business or trade activity
The Shereef of Mecca was King Hussein, who envisioned a unified Arab nation and led the Arab revolt against the Ottoman
Empire in 1916. He’s the great-greatgrandfather of Jordan’s current ruler, King Abdullah II.
Haifa and Acre are important port cities on the Mediterranean Sea. They are located in the area that is now Israel.
Alexandretta is a Mediterranean port city in Turkey. It was in France’s zone.
This section and others note that Britain and France will have free trade and passage in each other’s zones (no
discrimination in port charges).
13) Based on the excerpt, do you think Arab leaders were involved in crafting the agreement? Why
or why not?
14) Did Britain & France seem to view the Arab land as colonies that they would possess – or as
something else? What details support your answer?
15) How would you describe the tone of the agreement?
16) Based on the excerpt, what did Britain & France gain from the agreement? What might Sykes &
Picot have argued that the Arab states gained?