HISTORY OF MODERN SOUTHWEST ASIA

SS7H2 – Analyze continuity and change in Southwest Asia leading to the 21st century

ELEMENTS Explain how European partitioning in the Middle

East after the breakup of the Ottoman Empire led to regional conflict

Explain the historical reasons for the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948; include the Jewish religious connections to the land, the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, and Zionism in Europe

Describe how land and religion are reasons for continuing conflicts in the Middle East

Explain U.S. presence and interest in Southwest Asia; include the Persian Gulf conflict and invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS How did European portioning in

Southwest Asia after the breakup of the Ottoman Empire lead to a regional conflict?

How does anti-Semitism, the Holocaust, and Zionism relate to the establishment of the modern state of Israel?

How are land and religion reasons for continuing conflicts in Southwest Asia (Middle East)?

What are factors that led to the U.S. participation in the Persian Gulf Conflict and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq?

THE BREAKUP OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE The Ottoman Empire was one of the most successful empires in the 16th century. After the death of King Suleiman, the empire would experience a decline and then an eventual fall After World War I, in which the empire would lose the war, the empire would be split France took over Syria and Lebanon, Great Britain would take Palestine and Iraq

THE SAGA OF LAND AND RELIGION IN SOUTHWEST ASIA

LAND CONFLICTS RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS

Iraq and Iran have fought for land barriers since 1980 Was called the Iraq-Iran War Major reason for fighting

was for oil Iraq would attack Kuwait

in 1990 because of their thought Kuwait betrayed them Conflict was called the

Persian Gulf War

Palestine denied Israel independence because of its Jewish origins Israel fought Syria, Iraq, Lebanon,

Jordan and Egypt in the War of Independence in 1948

Israel continues to face conflicts from Hezbollah Shiite organization which means

“Party of God” Shia and Sunni Muslims continue

to fight in Iraq over power Iraq-Iran War also fought for

religious rights between Sunnis in Iraq and Shiites in Iran

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ISRAEL Israel as its own country was established in 1948. After Britain captured Palestine during WWI, the land was to be divided between Jews and Arabs. The United Nations decided that the Jews who lived in Palestine should have their own state. After conflict between Jews and Arabs continued, the U.N. voted to end British rule in Palestine and give the Jewish people their own state, which would become Israel

THE HOLOCAUST AND ITS EFFECTS Over 250,000 Jewish people were placed in concentration camps during the Holocaust, part of Adolf Hitler’s “Final Solution” to rid the world of the people he felt caused the fall of Germany in World War I. Jewish people were tortured, experimented on, burned, starved and killed. In all, over 6 million were killed. After WWII, Jews wanted to enter Palestine but were blocked by the British. Britain would eventually concede and let the Jews into Palestine

THE GROWTH OF ANTI SEMITISM Anti-Semitism is showing prejudice

against Jewish people Began in Europe, with France, Russia and

Austria having major issues with Jews Jewish people were constantly being

denied rights and privileges in European countries

Jewish people would be blamed for events and issues, mainly the fall of Germany after World War I and the death of Jesus Christ

THE ZIONISM MOVEMENT Europe in the late 1880s wanted to

press a movement called Zionism

Starting a homeland for Jews in Palestine Started to gain steam during World

War I, with Britain working with the First Zionist Congress of Switzerland

Jews faced backlash from Arabs and lost the support of Britain

THE UNITED STATES VS. SOUTHWEST ASIA – THE PERSIAN GULF WAR

Iraq would invade Kuwait in 1990. Dictator Saddam Hussein wanted the oil in Kuwait and to have access to the Persian Gulf. The United Nations would intervene, but Iraq did not back down. The United States and other countries would invade to help Kuwait and eventually defeat Iraq in less than two months. Iraq was ordered by the United Nations to destroy all weapons of mass destruction. An embargo was placed on Iraq after the war and lasted until 1998.

THE UNITED STATES VS. SOUTHWEST ASIA – SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 On September 11, 2001, a terrorist

group known as al-Qaeda, led by the Taliban and Osama Bin Laden, crashed two airplanes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. Many Americans were killed and the United States declared war on Afghanistan. U.S. troops would bomb Afghanistan and destroy parts of the country looking for Bin Laden.

The U.S. would defeat the Taliban and help to establish a new government in Afghanistan.

Osama Bin Laden was eventually found in 2011 and killed by a covert operations team in Pakistan

THE UNITED STATES VS. SOUTHWEST ASIA – THE IRAQI WAR The U.S. and Britain invaded Iraq again in

2003 over fear of more WMDs in Iraq The Iraqi army was defeated after bombings

and Saddam Hussein was captured in 2006 and sentenced to death for murders

In 2005, with the help of the U.S., the Iraqi government was now democratic and had their first elections

Troops would stay in the region until 2011, when all troops were deployed back to the U.S.