Answer :
After WWI, much of Southwest Asia was divided into European mandates under the Treaty of Sèvres and the San Remo Conference due to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. This led to Britain and France controlling key territories, creating long-term instability and tensions.
After World War I, the Ottoman Empire, which had controlled much of Southwest Asia, collapsed.
- The Treaty of Sèvres in 1920 and the San Remo Conference saw the former Ottoman territories divided into mandates overseen by European powers, primarily Britain and France.
- This was justified by the League of Nations under the guise that these regions were 'inhabited by peoples not yet able to stand by themselves under the strenuous conditions of the modern world.'
- The aftermath of this division saw Britain gain control of Iraq, Palestine, and Transjordan, while France took over Syria.
- This system ignored the ethnic and nationalistic aspirations of the local populations, leading to significant long-term political and social instability.
- The mandate system was essentially a new form of imperialism that resulted in considerable regional tensions that persist to this day.
Answer: The mandate system allowed Europeans take control over the resources of Asian countries.
Explanation:
World War 1 changed the Middle East in a way which wasn't witnessed before. The Europeans completed the takeover of certain territories like Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Arabia. During World War 1, Britain and France sent agents and armies into the Middle East to instigate rebellion and seize Syria, Pakistan and Iran.
In 1916, British and French diplomats agreed secretly on dividing the Middle East. The agreement was later replaced by another agreement which created a mandate system of British and French control. According to the mandate system, Lebanon and Syria went to the French while Palestine, Iraq and three Ottoman provinces went to the British.
The possession of the defeated Asian countries were governed by the victorious countries as it was believed that the defeated countries were not ready to govern themselves. The mandate system gave power to the Europeans especially Britain and France as they exerted their influence over the Middle East. This got many Arabs angry as they wanted to have control over their resources themselves rather than being controlled by Europeans.
