History of the Middle East Podcast Series Part 4 – The Mandate Period and the Interwar Years

Summary: Reading Time: 7 minutesThe Paris Peace Conference at the conclusion of “the war to end all wars” was supposed to change the way the world worked. The ideals espoused by men like Woodrow Wilson and others suggested that the people of the world would be free and enter into a period of self rule and independence. That is not what followed. The interwar years between World War I and World War II are known as the mandate period in the Middle East. Much of region was divided up between the French Mandate and the British Mandate in the region. This was the last grasp of the imperialist system before it came crashing down after World War II. Its impact upon the Middle East was significant.<br> <br> The British Mandate <br> The whole of the British domains were not subjected to the British mandate status. All of the lands apportioned to the British were however seen as British assets to be doled out to their loyal beneficiaries as the British government saw fit.<br> The lands that would one day be known as Saudi Arabia for example were now British prizes after World War I. This included the holy cities of Islam like Mecca and Medina. Britain had little interest in these lands. They were seen as desert land inhabited by nomadic groups who were prone to guerilla warfare throughout the 19th century. The only thing Britain needed out of these lands was safe and secure access to the port cities in the south. They had no desire to get involved in the Islamic holy cities. There was nothing of benefit for the British to hold on to this territory. This was of course before oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia.<br> The problem was that two British allies claimed to be the rightful heirs of the Islamic holy cities. Sharif Hussein and the Saudis both believed they should be given these lands. In the end the British gave the soon to be lands of Saudi Arabia over to the Saudis. This did not prevent Hussein’s forces from fighting to take those lands from the Saudis but the British backed the Saudis in these fights and the lands ultimately rested with the Saudis.<br> By the 1930s Saudi Arabia was established. The state budget of Saudi Arabia was literally held in a large box by the head of the Saudi royal family. All of that would soon change however as this desert kingdom given to religious extremism soon became owner of some of the world’s largest reserves of oil.<br> The more famous territories which the British took possession of were to the northwest of Saudi Arabia and would become known as the British Mandate in Palestine.<br> <br> * You can take a deep dive on the British Mandate in Palestine at my expert guide <a href="http://www.theendofhistory.net/most_recent/complete-and-balanced-historical-guide-to-the-israeli-palestinian-conflict/">A Complete and Balanced Historical Guide to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict</a>. I go into much greater detail on the Balfour Declaration, the mandate and everything that is included in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict there. <br> <br> In Palestine the British found themselves victims to their own over abundance of promises made during the war. The government of Britain promised to show interests and progress for the development of a Jewish state in Palestine. The problem was the Jewish people were a minority there and the local Palestinian Arabs were not interested in establishing a Jewish homeland in the land their families had lived in for centuries. Then there was the Hussein family. Sharif Feisal Hussein had led the Great Arab Revolt on behalf of the British in World War I. Now he was being kicked out of the holy lands of Islam by the Saudis and the Saudis were doing this with British military support.<br> <br> Among the first priorities for the British was to appease Sharif Feisal Hussein. The leader of the Great Arab Revolt may have lost the holy cities of Islam but he was put in charge of much more profitable and influential lands.