The Effect Of The Great War On The Middle East - 2163 Words

The Sykes-Picot Agreement, or more commonly known as the Asia Minor Agreement, is one of the most pivotal events in the history of the Middle East that would alter the very structure of the region. It continues to negatively impact the countries that were involved due to the decisions made when it was signed and immediately after. The main purpose of the agreement was the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire after it was defeated in World War One . The Middle East region did offer many advantages to the Western powers for economic benefits, trading routes and commerce . The Great War was a major turning point for many regions across the European theatre but especially in the Middle East, the war signalled the end of the Ottoman Empire, a†¦show more content†¦The French representative was Francois-Georges Picot, a professional diplomat with extensive experience in the Middle Eastern region. The Middle East offered a vast number of opportunities to the Western countries in par ticular Britain’s interest in the provinces was focused on the protection of its routes to India. Securing cheap accessible oil for the British Empire’s needs and maintaining the balance of power in the Mediterranean to its own advantage and protecting financial issues were also their interests in the region. France aimed to preserved its centuries old ties with the Syrian Catholics, gain a strategic and economic base in the eastern Mediterranean, guarantee a cheap supply flow of cotton and silk and prevent Arab nationalism from infecting the French north African empire . All of these goals from both the British and the French were never going to be successful. With the help of Imperial Russia, the Western representatives divided up the region into specific French and British administrated areas referring as zones and areas. From 1920 onwards, the British and the French formalised the control these territories by the League of Nations Mandate system, and France was assigned the Mandate of Syria which gave control over modern Lebanon and the port of Alexandretta .The ‘Blue Zone’ was the area expanding from the coastal strip of Syria, Lebanon and the