Prologue
5.
Britain's triple tongue diplomacy during World War I (2)
(2) Sykes-Picot Agreement
With McMahon-Hussein Correspondence
, the second one of “Britain’s triple tongue
diplomacy" was the secret agreement so-called "Sykes-Picot
agreement" to divide Middle Eastern territory of the Ottoman Empire by Britain
and France (and Russia).
British diplomatic advisor Mark Sykes and
French diplomat Francois Georges Picot drafted about the division of the
Ottoman Empire at the end of 1915 when the victory of the UK, French and their allies
became sure. Russia also joined with the secret agreement. Three countries have
mutually signed the agreement officially known “Asia Minor Agreement” in May
1916, in Petrograd, Russia. This agreement was generally called
"Sykes-Picot Agreement" after taking names of two diplomats. It was
just before the uprising of Hussein, Sharif of Makkah, according to the
McMahon-Hussein Correspondence (see previous section).
In this secret agreement for territorial
division, the UK gained Southern Syria and South Mesopotamia. France became the ruler of Syria, southern
Anatolia and Mosul district of Iraq. Russia was given the Black Sea coast. In
more detail in the Middle Eastern region, the UK and France divided the
Mediterranean coast. From southern Anatolia to Beirut were directly governed by
France. France also got the power in the northern Mesopotamian region from
Damascus to Aleppo and Mosul. Compared with the current border line, France
dominated the territory from the southern part of Turkey throughout Syria
including northern Iraq and Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the UK controlled directly the
area from Baghdad to Basra adding the Kuwait and the east coast of the Persian
(Arabian) Gulf. The desert zone spreading from Amman to the northern part of
the Arabian Peninsula were under UK’s influence. This area covers Jordan, southern
part of Iraq and GCC countries-Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and UAE.
Palestine, which would be the biggest hot
spot in the Middle East in future, was dealt as the co-governorate of UK and
France.
"Sykes-Picot Agreement" was a
product of the imperial colonialism competing between three countries; the UK,
France and Russia. The interest of Arab nation, who had maintained a moderate
peace and order throughout the region for thousands of years, had never been
taken into consideration. In 1917 only one year after the signing of the
agreement, Russian revolution had broken out. The secret agreement was revealed
by the Soviet revolutionary government. The Arabs, who had been asking for
fulfillment of the "McMahon-Hussein Correspondence", have shown
antipathy against UK & France.
(To be continued ----)
By
Areha Kazuya
E-mail:
areha_kazuya@gmail.com
Home Page: OCIN
INITIATIVE
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