The Mandate for Mesopotamia and Mandate for Palestine: The History of the Former Ottoman Territories Administered by the British after World War I

The United Nations is one of the most famous bodies in the world, and its predecessor, the League of Nations, might be equally notorious. In fact, President Woodrow Wilson’s pet project was controversial from nearly the minute it was conceived. At the end of World War I, Wilson's pleas at the Paris Peace Conference relied on his Fourteen Points, which included the establishment of a League of Nations, but while his points were mostly popular amongst Americans and Europeans alike, leaders at the Peace Conference largely discarded them and favored different approaches. British leaders saw their singular aim as the maintenance of British colonial possessions. France, meanwhile, only wanted to ensure that Germany was weakened and unable to wage war again, and it too had colonial interests abroad that it hoped to maintain. Britain and France thus saw eye-to-eye, with both wanting a weaker Germany and both wanting to maintain their colonies. Wilson, however, wanted both countries to rid themselves of their colonies, and he wanted Germany to maintain its self-determination and right to self-defense. Wilson totally opposed the “war guilt” clause, which blamed the war on Germany. Wilson mostly found himself shut out, but Britain and France did not want American contributions to the war to go totally unappreciated, if only out of fear that the U.S. might turn towards improving their relations with Germany in response. Thus, to appease Wilson and the Americans, France and Britain consented to the creation of a League of Nations. Too many were skeptical of the Treaty, especially given Europe's inability to adopt the remainder of Wilson’s Fourteen Points. As a result, ironically, the United States didn’t join the League of Nations, which would last only about 25 years. While it would attempt to resolve some territorial disputes, it simply proved too weak to prevent international aggression, primarily among the Axis Powers in the buildup to World War II. Thus, the League’s greatest legacy ended up being its dismal failure to prevent World War II and ensure that World War I had truly been the “war to end all wars,” as originally intended. Although the League of Nations was short-lived and clearly failed in its primary mission, it did essentially spawn the United Nations at the end of World War II, and many of the UN’s structures and organizations came straight from its predecessor, with the concepts of an International Court and a General Assembly coming straight from the League. More importantly, the failures of the League ensured that the UN was given stronger authority and enforcement mechanisms, most notably through the latter’s Security Council, and while the League dissolved after a generation, the UN has survived for over 70 years. One of the League’s most lasting legacies was the manner in which it handed over administrative control of land in the Middle East to the victorious Allied Powers, namely France and Britain. The Ottoman Empire quickly collapsed after World War I, and its extensive lands were divvied up between the French and British. While the French gained control of the Levant, which would later become modern day nations like Syria and Lebanon, the British were given mandates for Mesopotamia and Palestine. The British Mandate for Palestine gave the British control over the lands that have since become Jordan, Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, while Mesopotamia covered modern Iraq. Tells The Story Of The British Empire From Its Late-nineteenth Century Flowering. This Book Traces The British Empire From The Scramble For Africa Through The Mandates System Of 'sacred Trust', The Turbulent Imperial History Of The Second World War In Asia And Finally To The The Unstoppable Mid-20th Century Rush To Independence. Suez And Decolonization : Scrambling Out Of Africa And Asia -- The Legacy Of European Colonialism. The Colonial Empires In The Late Nineteenth And Early Twentieth Centuries -- The Scramble For Africa And The Congo. The Scramble For Africa : Sir Percy Anderson's Grand Strategy ; The Berlin Congo Conference And The (non- ) Partition Of Africa, 1884-85 ; Roger Casement And The Congo ; E.d. Morel And The Triumph Of The Congo Reform Association -- The First World War And The Origins Of The Mandates System. Australia And The German Colonies In The Pacific During The First World War ; The Repartition Of Africa During The First World War ; The United States And The Colonial Settlement Of 1919 ; The Beginning Of The Mandates System Of The League Of Nations ; The British And The French Colonial Empire : Trusteeship And Self-interest -- Singapore And Hong Kong. The Road To The Fall Of Singapore, 1942 : British Imperialism In East Asia In The 1930s ; Hong Kong : The Critical Phase, 1945-49 -- India, Palestine, And Egypt. The Governing Intellect : L.s. Amery, The British Empire, And Indian Independence ; The Partitions Of India And Palestine ; Taking The Plunge Into Indian Independence ; The End Of The Palestine Mandate -- Decolonization. The Imperialism Of Decolonization / (with Ronald Robinson) ; Libya : The Creation Of A Client State ; The Coming Of Independence In The Sudan ; Taxing Transfers Of Power In Africa ; The Dissolution Of The British Empire In The Era Of Vietnam. Suez. American Anti-colonialism, Suez, And The Special Relationship ; Prelude To Suez : Churchill And Egypt ; A Prima Donna With Honour : Eden And Suez ; An American Volcano In The Middle East : John Foster Dulles And The Suez Crisis ; The United Nations And The Suez Crisis : British Ambivalence Towards The Pope On The East River ; Public Enemy Number One : Britain And The United Nations In The Aftermath Of Suez -- The Middle East. Musaddiq, Oil, And The Dilemmas Of British Imperialism ; The Middle East Crisis Of 1958 ; The Origins Of The Iraqi Revolution ; The Withdrawal From The Gulf -- Historiography. Robinson And Gallagher And Their Critics ; The Historiography Of The British Empire ; The Pax Americana : Sir Keith Hancock, The British Empire, And American Expansion. Wm. Roger Louis. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Table of Contents Preface xi Abbreviations xv Introduction: Suez and Decolonization: Scrambling out of Africa and Asia 1 The Legacy of European Colonialism The Colonial Empires in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries 35 The Scramble for Africa and the Congo The Scramble for Africa: Sir Percy Anderson's Grand Strategy 51 The Berlin Congo Conference and the (Non- ) Partition of Africa, 1884-85 75 Roger Casement and the Congo 127 E.D. Morel and the Triumph of the Congo Reform Association 153 The First World War and the Origins of the Mandates System Australia and the German Colonies in the Pacific during the First World War 185 The Repartition of Africa during the First World War 205 The United States and the Colonial Settlement of 1919 225 The Beginning of the Mandates System of the League of Nations 251 The British and the French Colonial Empire: Trusteeship and Self-Interest 279 Singapore and Hong Kong The Road to the Fall of Singapore, 1942: British Imperialism in East Asia in the 1930s 293 Hong Kong: The Critical Phase, 1945-49 339 India, Palestine, and Egypt The Governing Intellect: L.S. Amery, the British Empire, and Indian Independence 381 The Partitions of India andPalestine 391 Taking the Plunge into Indian Independence 411 The End of the Palestine Mandate 419 Decolonization The Imperialism of Decolonization 451 Libya: The Creation of a Client State 503 The Coming of Independence in the Sudan 529 Taxing Transfers of Power in Africa 553 The Dissolution of the British Empire in the Era of Vietnam 557 Suez American Anti-Colonialism, Suez, and the Special Relationship 589 Prelude to Suez: Churchill and Egypt 609 A Prima Donna with Honour: Eden and Suez 627 An American Volcano in the Middle East: John Foster Dulles and the Suez Crisis 639 The United Nations and the Suez Crisis: British Ambivalence towards the Pope on the East River 665 Public Enemy Number One: Britain and the United Nations in the Aftermath of Suez 689 The Middle East Musaddiq, Oil, and the Dilemmas of British Imperialism 727 The Middle East Crisis of 1958 789 The Origins of the Iraqi Revolution 849 The Withdrawal from the Gulf 877 Historiography Robinson and Gallagher and Their Critics 907 The Historiography of the British Empire 955 The Pax Americana: Sir Keith Hancock, the British Empire, and American Expansion 999 Index 1029 This history of the foundational war in the Arab-Israeli conflict is groundbreaking, objective, and deeply revisionist. A riveting account of the military engagements, it also focuses on the war's political dimensions. Benny Morris probes the motives and aims of the protagonists on the basis of newly opened Israeli and Western documentation. The Arab side--where the archives are still closed--is illuminated with the help of intelligence and diplomatic materials. Morris stresses the jihadi character of the two-stage Arab assault on the Jewish community in Palestine. Throughout, he examines the dialectic between the war's military and political developments and highlights the military impetus in the creation of the refugee problem, which was a by-product of the disintegration of Palestinian Arab society. The book thoroughly investigates the role of the Great Powers--Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union--in shaping the conflict and its tentative termination in 1949. Morris looks both at high politics and general staff decision-making processes and at the nitty-gritty of combat in the successive battles that resulted in the emergence of the State of Israel and the humiliation of the Arab world, a humiliation that underlies the continued Arab antagonism toward Israel This History Of The Foundational War In The Arab-israeli Conflict Is Groundbreaking, Objective, And Deeply Revisionist. Besides The Military Account, It Also Focuses On The War's Political Dimensions. Historian Morris Probes The Motives And Aims Of The Protagonists On The Basis Of Newly Opened Israeli And Western Documentation. The Arab Side--where The Archives Are Still Closed--is Illuminated With The Help Of Intelligence And Diplomatic Materials. Morris Stresses The Jihadi Character Of The Two-stage Arab Assault On The Jewish Community In Palestine. He Examines The Dialectic Between The War's Military And Political Developments And Highlights The Military Impetus In The Creation Of The Palestinian Refugee Problem. He Looks Both At High Politics And General Staff Decision-making And At The Nitty-gritty Of Combat In The Battles That Resulted In The Emergence Of The State Of Israel And The Humiliation Of The Arab World--a Humiliation That Underlies The Continued Arab Antagonism Toward Israel.--from Publisher Description. Pax Britannica to Pax Americana is the story of the British Empire from its late-nineteenth century flowering to its present extinction. Louis traces the British Empire from the scramble for Africa, the turbulent imperial history of the Second World War in Asia, and the mid-20th century rush to independence to the Suez crisis, the icon of empire's end. It forms the ideal platform from which to examine the aims and outcome of empire. This authoritative and highly engaging history appears at a time when interest in the history of the British Empire has, ironically, never been stronger, making Ends of British Imperialism a must-read item for both scholar and general reader. From the distance of fifty years it is difficult to recall the intensity of emotion about the end of the British Empire and its vital connection with the Suez invasion of 1956.