The Arab Revolt. The Ottoman Empire ruled substantial sections of the Arabian Peninsula for about 400 years, beginning with gaining the allegiance of the Hejaz region in 1516. In fact, at the time of the Xxxxx-Xxxxx agreement the political landscape of the Middle East looked different from that of today. The modern states of Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia did not exist then. In Xxxxx Xxxxxxx’x book A Peace to End All Peace, he believed “the west’s historical mission” shaped the “political destinies of the other people of the globe”; he continues: “The Middle East, one of the few regions left on the planet, had not yet been socially, culturally, and politically reshaped in the image Europe. It had been of great interest to western diplomats and politicians during the nineteenth century as an arena in which great game rivalries were played out’’ (24). The outbreak of the Arab Revolt in June 1916 was a result of disagreement between the Young Turks and the Sharif of Mecca, and secret negotiations between Arabs and the British foreign Office in Cairo. At the outbreak of WWI, the British and French Empires were convinced to win the war against the central powers. Unexpectedly, they were defeated at the battle of Gallipoli. In fact, Turkish counter-attack threatened the British interests in Egypt; the Suez Canal, moreover, they feared an Arab rebellion against the Entente Powers. Consequently, the British urged the need of an Arab collaboration to hold the Ottoman forces, seeding before them the prospect of freedom and self-determination in the aftermath of victory. (Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx) Already in 1913, relations between Xxxxxx Xxxxxx and the Young Turk began to deteriorate. In fact, Ottoman entrance to the First World War would no longer guarantee the loyalty of Arabs for two reasons. The first was the growth of a nascent Arab nationalism that drew inspiration from the nationalist movements of the Slavic minorities of the Ottoman Balkan territories, later, won their independence. The second factor was the completion of the Hejaz railway, which provided a direct link between Medina and Damascus, greatly facilitating Ottoman access to the Arabian interior. However, Xxxxxx Xxxxxx of Xxxxx reacted negatively and rejected the Young Turk project. (Rise of Arab Nationalism) Accordingly, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxx dispatched his son Xxxxxxxx to Cairo to initiate secret negotiations with the British officers there, he requested for their support against the Turks. At first, however, The Bri...
