Introduction Over the course of human history, wars have always created, destroyed or enveloped nations, states or empires. Examples of these include the Final War of the Roman Republic, which culminated with the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE, to the Franco-Prussian War of 1871 which created a unified German state. However, World War One is known to have had the greatest impact on human civilization. It dragged in almost every continent into the conflict, halted global trade, led to the demolition of four empires, and gave nationalism everywhere a boost. One interesting factor about the First World War is the extent to which it had a tremendous impact on the Middle East. Many westerners today would only remember it by reading Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front or attending an Armistice Day parade in Central London. Most would not even contemplate the fact that World War One had everything to do with the current events in the Middle East today such as the so-called Arab Spring, the Palestinian conflict, et cetera. With all being said, the argument presented is that even though the First World War was important in shaping the destiny of the modern Middle East, the long term unintended results were definitely more important. In addition, the war was mainly a catalyst for the continuation of defensive developmentalism in the Middle East. Now emphasis must be laid why World War One affected the Middle East. Narrative On the 28th of June 1914, a Serbian nationalist assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. An interesting question must be asked about why the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne has anything to do with the future of the Middle East. Ansary notes that the war seemed ... ... middle of paper ... ... to wield an iron fist ranging from Mustafa Kemal to Hosni Mubarak to various monarchs that rule the numerous kingdoms around the in and around the Arabian Peninsula in order to exact development. The defensive developmentalists of the nineteenth century were secular leaders just as the various Middle Eastern leaders are today. In acknowledging its significance, there is no doubt that the First World War did have a tremendous impact on the Middle East but it must be said that the string of problems that exists there today started prior to the war and the war itself served as a catalyst for stronger nationalism and defensive developmentalism. Works Cited Ansary, Tamim. Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World through Islamic Eyes. New York: PublicAffairs, 2009. Gelvin, James L. The Modern Middle East: A History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Ibn Munqidh, Usama. "From Memoirs." McNeill, William and Marilyn Robinson Waldman. The Islamic World. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1973. 184-206.
The story begins by Shlaim breaking down the conflict into four periods: the Ottoman, the imperial (British/French), the Cold War (US/USSR), and American (present day). He then traces how these foreign powers have shaped the region and intruded in the relations among the local states. He argues that the post-Ottoman syndrome refers to the inability of the Middle East countries to achieve peace following the onset of imperialism.
This marked the beginning of the Palestine armed conflict, one of its kinds to be witnessed in centuries since the fall of the Ottoman Empire and World War 1. Characterized by a chronology of endless confrontations, this conflict has since affected not only the Middle East relations, but also the gl...
Cleveland, William L. A History of the Modern Middle East. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 2000.
World War I, otherwise known as the Great War, began as a small battle that eventually developed into a prodigious uproar between several countries. An event that could have perhaps been avoided and prevented unnecessary deaths. WWI’s beginnings are controversial and historians throughout the world have several theories about the destructive event. Said to be one of the most disastrous and ruinous struggles between nations, The Great War lasted from July 1914 until November 1918. Referred to as a World War because of the global participation and the international unsettle; this war was exacerbated by 7 million casualties. World War I was primarily concerned with the struggle for mastery in Europe, but it was a global conflict that reached across five oceans and three continents. (Wilmott, 1) World War I introduced modern technologies including weaponry and nuclear machinery from opposing forces known as Central Powers against the Allied powers.
In 1914 one of the most important wars in history broke out. The spark that set off World War One was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Serbia by a Serbian nationalist/terrorist. He was assassinated on June 28, 1914. The main causes of Europe leading to this war actually stand for the word M.A.I.N the causes are Alliances, Militarism, Imperialism, and Nationalism. These four things made such an impact of going to war. The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand caused a system of alliances to kick in, and all the major powers of Europe divided into two camps, the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente. His assassination was the main cause of World War One.
Yapp, Malcolm. The Near East since the First World War: A History to 1995. London: Longman, 1996. Print.
The Great War , or as it is known now, World War One was a global conflict fought between the Allied Powers ; Great Britain, France, Russia, and the United States along will other smaller nations and the Central Powers ; Germany, Austria – Hungary, Turkey/Ottoman Empire and other small nations from 1914 to 1918. World War One began from a series of tumultuous events, that in turn affected the balance of alliances that had been made between countries at that time in the world.
Trice, M 2008, The Middle East: A gigantic Task for the New Administration. Wiley, N.Y.
World War One or ‘The First World War’ as it became known, occurred due to many causes including the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and ideologies such as nationalism and militarism. The most obvious trigger for the war was the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie on June 28, 1914. The assassination took place during the Archduke’s visit to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Archduke was targeted due to an ill feeling amongst Serbians that, once appointed to the throne, Ferdinand would continue the persecution of Serbs living within the borders of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Just moments after the couple had been shot; authorities arrested the triggerman, Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian student, who was believed to have been linked to the Serbian terrorist organization, The Black Hand.
Gerner, Deborah J., and Philip A. Schrodt. "Middle Eastern Politics." Understanding the contemporary Middle East. 3rd ed. Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2008. 85 -136. Print.
Gerner, Deborah J., and Philip A. Schrodt. "Middle Eastern Politics." Understanding the Contemporary Middle East. 3rd ed. Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2008. 85 -136. Print.
World War 1 (better known as The Great War), was caused by a great many elements, some long-term, some short-term and the spark. Together these reasons created a brutal war involving many countries across the globe and also killing a vast number of the world’s population. In this essay, I will thoroughly explain what started this war and which reasons made it start sooner.
After years of hostility and aggression between the European superpowers and large states, the balance of power began to be challenged. The Serbians in 1914 assassinated the Arch-duke, Franz Ferdinand, of Austria-Hungary. The country counteracted and “issued an ultimatum to Serbia, which would bring the assassins to justice. And with that action Serbia’s sovereignty was nullified” (Duffy Michael, 2009). Since Serbia did not succumb to the harsh demands of Austria-Hungary, “preventative” war was declared on Serbia on July 28,...
The Middle East has come along way since the rise of civilization thousands of years ago. Civilization emerged in the Middle East and northeast Africa along the river systems as agricultural societies grew in population and developed new forms of social organization. For the last two thousands years the west has been drawn to the middle east fascinated by the culture, religion, resources and politics. The Middle East has an immense impact on the world globally. My goal in this paper is to explain the ancient and modern significance of the Middle East and how it impacts the world in such a globalizing way.