Blood and Oil: The Middle East in World War I
Blood and Oil: The Middle East in World War I is a 2006 historical documentary written and produced by Marty Callaghan. The film covers the Allied military campaign in the Middle East during World War I. It examines the escalation of the war in the Middle East and the shifting political interests of the Allies between 1914 and 1923. It analyzes how the increasing importance of oil altered the initial objectives of the Allies. It briefly lists the consequences of Western involvement in the Middle East and the effects it has had on its peoples and emerging states. It was a production of Inecom Entertainment Company.
Summary[edit]
Following the outbreak of the First World War, the Ottoman Empire decided to ally itself with the German Empire and Austro-Hungarian Empire. Under the command of Enver Pasha, the Ottoman Empire launched an attack on the Russian Empire on October 25th, 1914. As a result, the Ottoman Empire was attacked in its Eastern, Western, and Southern regions by British and Russian troops.
The retreat of the Allied army from the Battle of Gallipoli led to new approaches in the British military campaign in the Middle East. Now based in Abadan, the British army begins to launch its attacks to take Baghdad. Despite their initial plans to seize it by the end of 1915, it was not until March 1917 that the British army managed to capture the city.
Hoping to secure a stable supply of water, British forces then shift their focus towards Gaza. While the Turkish army repels the first two attacks, they capitulate to the third British offensive. Both Jerusalem and Gaza fall under British control by December 1917.
Allied leaders contact tribal leaders in the Hejaz. They organize alongside Hussein Bin Ali, the Sharif of Mecca to direct Arab nationalist movements against the Ottoman Empire. After the surrender of the Ottoman Empire, British troops continue their attack towards Mosul to secure the oil in the region.
During the war, British leaders made promises of land in Syria and Lebanon to both French and Arab tribal leaders. It was only after the end of the war that Prince Faisal learned of the Sykes-Picot Agreement. Severely outnumbered by British troops in the region, he agreed to rule in Baghdad under British authority, while conceding Syria and Lebanon to the French and Palestine to the British.
Meanwhile, plans to divide the remainder of the Ottoman Empire are made by various Allied powers. Under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a new faction of Turkish Nationalists rose to power. They began a new campaign to secure lands in Anatolia. In 1923, Atatürk became the first president of the Turkish Republic. Additionally, Europe recognized the new government of Turkey and its borders, thus ending the war in the Middle East.
Oil in World War I[edit]
In 1911, shortly before World War I, Winston Churchill decided to use oil instead of coal to fuel the Royal Navy. He secured oil supplies from the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and in exchange, “the British government injected £2m of new capital into the company.” [1] Britain's oil policy has set a precedent to the struggle of oil between world powers.
In the years that followed, acquiring a source of oil became a central objective of the Allied powers. Conflict over the rights to oil in Northern Iraq arose between Britain and France. In the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement, Mosul was promised to France; however, it was seized by Britain during the war.[2] Given the growing importance of oil, Britain and France began escalating their involvements in the region. In 1920 Britain and France settled their dispute in the secret San Remo oil agreement, where Britain was given political power over modern day Iraq and France was promised Germany’s shares in the Turkish Petroleum Company. [3]
The League of Nations Mandate[edit]
After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1920, the League of Nations assigned the Allied Nations the responsibility to administer over the former colonies of the Ottoman Empire, under Article 22 of the covenant. The goal of this mandate was to assist these former colonies to gain their independence. The mandates were divided into three different classes, where the Class A mandate contained the former territories of the Ottoman Empire. Britain was given a mandate over the territories of Iraq, Transjordan, and Palestine, whereas Lebanon and Syria were to be administered by France.[4]
References[edit]
- ↑ "The Company File | From Anglo-Persian Oil to BP Amoco.", BBC News. Retrieved April 03, 2018.
- ↑ "The Sykes-Picot Agreement: 1916" Retrieved April 03, 2018.
- ↑ Paul, James A. "Great Power Conflict over Iraqi Oil: The World War I Era", Global Policy Forum. Retrieved April 03, 2018.
- ↑ Tuori, Taina. "From League of Nations Mandates to Decolonization: A History of the Language of Rights in International Law, University of Helsinki. Retrieved April 03, 2018.
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