Portland State University Middle East Studies Center
History of Geography: The Modern Middle East and North Africa
Firstly- England will acknowledge the
independence of the Arab countries,
bounded on the north by Mersina and
Adana up to the 37th degree of
latitude, on which degree fall Birijik,
Urfa, Mardin, Midiat, Jezirat (Ibn
'Umar), Amadia, up to the border of
Persia; on the east by the borders of
Persia up to the Gulf of Basra; on the
south by the Indian Ocean, with the
exception of the position of Aden to
remain as it is; on the west by the Red
Sea, the Mediterranean Sea up to
Mersina. England to approve the
proclamation of an Arab Khalifate of
Islam.
Translation of a letter from Sharif Husayn of Mecca to Sir Henry McMahon, His Majesty’s
High Commissioner at Cairo, July 14, 1915
The Hussein-McMahon Correspondence: 1915 http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/hussmac1.html
Amadia
The Hussein-McMahon Correspondence: 1915 http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/hussmac1.html
The two districts of Mersina and Alexandretta and portions of Syria lying to the west of the districts of
Damascus, Homs, Hama and Aleppo cannot be said to be purely Arab, and should be excluded from the
limits demanded...I am empowered in the name of the Government of Great Britain to give the following
assurances and make the following reply to your letter:
1. Subject to the above modifications, Great Britain is prepared to recognize and support the independence of
the Arabs in all the regions within the limits demanded by the Sherif of Mecca.
2. Great Britain will guarantee the Holy Places against all external aggression and will recognise their
inviolability. 3. When the situation admits, Great Britain will give to the Arabs
her advice and will assist them to establish what may appear to be
the most suitable forms of government in those various
territories.
4. On the other hand, it is understood that the Arabs have
decided to seek the advice and guidance of Great Britain only,
and that such European advisers and officials as may be required
for the formation of a sound form of administration will be
British.
5. With regard to the vilayets of Bagdad and Basra, the Arabs will
recognise that the established position and interests of Great
Britain necessitate special administrative arrangements in order to
secure these territories from foreign aggression, to promote the
welfare of the local populations and to safeguard our mutual
economic interests.
It is accordingly understood between the French and British governments:
1. That France and Great Britain are prepared to recognize and protect an independent Arab states or a
confederation of Arab states (a) and (b) marked on the annexed map, under the suzerainty of an Arab
chief. That in area (a) France, and in area (b) Great Britain, shall have priority of right of enterprise and
local loans. That in area (a) France, and in area (b) Great Britain, shall alone supply advisers or foreign
functionaries at the request of the Arab state or confederation of Arab states.
The Sykes-Picot Agreement: 1916 (http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/sykes.asp)
2. That in the blue area France, and
in the red area Great Britain, shall be
allowed to establish such direct or
indirect administration or control as
they desire and as they may think fit
to arrange with the Arab state or
confederation of Arab states.
3. That in the brown area there shall
be established an international
administration, the form of which is
to be decided upon after consultation
with Russia, and subsequently in
consultation with the other allies, and
the representatives of the Shereef of
Mecca.
Balfour Declaration, 1917
November 2nd, 1917
Dear Lord Rothschild,
I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following
declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved
by, the Cabinet.
"His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the
Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being
clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of
existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any
other country."
I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.
Yours sincerely,
Arthur James Balfour
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/balfour.asp
I. In Europe, the frontiers of Turkey will be laid down as follows…
II. In Asia, the frontiers of Turkey will be laid down as follows:
1. On the West and South: From the entrance of the Bosphorus into the Sea of Marmora to a point described below, situated in
the eastern Mediterranean Sea in the neighbourhood of the Gulf of Alexandretta near Karatash Burun the Sea of Marmora, the
Dardanelles, and the Eastern Mediterranean Sea; the islands of the Sea of Marmora, and those which are situated within a
distance of 3 miles from the coast, remaining Turkish, subject to the provisions of Section IV and Articles 84 and 122, Part III.
2. With Syria: From a point to be chosen on the eastern bank of the outlet of the Hassan Dede, about 3 kilometres north-west
of Karatash Bu- run, north-eastwards to a point to be chosen on the Djaihun Irmak about 1 kilometre north of Babeli, a line to
be fixed on the ground passing north of Karatash; thence to Kesik Kale, the course of the Djaihun Irmak upstream; thence
north-eastwards to a point to be chosen on the Djaihun Irmak about 15 kilometres east-southeast of Karsbazar, a line to be fixed
on the ground passing north of Kara Tepe; thence to the bend in the Djaihun Irmak situated west of Duldul Dagh, the course of
the Djaihun Irmak upstream; thence in a general south-easterly direction to a point to be chosen on Emir Musi Dagh about 15
kilometres south-south-west of Giaour Geul a line to be fixed on the ground at a distance of about 18 kilometres from the
railway, and leaving Duldul Dagh to Syria; thence eastwards to a point to be chosen about 5 kilometres north of Urfa a generally
straight line from west to east to be hxed on the ground passing north of the roads connecting the towns of Bagh- che, Aintab,
Biridjik, and Urfa and leaving the last three named towns to Syria; thence eastwards to the south-western extremity of the bend
in the Tigris about 6 kilometres north of Azekh (27 kilometres west of Djezire-ibn-Omar), a generally straight line from west to
east to be fixed on the ground leaving the town of Mardin to Syria; thence to a point to be chosen on the Tigris between the
point of confluence of the Khabur Su with the Tigris and the bend in the Tigris situated about 10 kilometres north of this point,
the course of the Tigris downstream, leaving the island on which is situated the town of Djezire-ibn-Omar to Syria.
3. With Mesopotamia: Thence in a general easterly direction to a point to be chosen on the northern boundary of the vilayet of
Mosul, a line to be fixed on the ground; thence eastwards to the point where it meets the frontier between Turkey and Persia, the
northern boundary of the vilayet of Mosul, modified, however, so as to pass south of Amadia.
4. On the East and the North East: From the point above defined to the Black Sea, the existing frontier between Turkey and
Persia, then the former frontier between Turkey and Russia, subject to the provisions of Article 89.
Treaty of Sevres: 1920 http://www.hri.org/docs/sevres/
The Treaty was signed between the Allied and Associated Powers and Turkey at Sevres on August 10, 1920.
Treaty of Sevres: 1920 http://www.hri.org/docs/sevres/ The Treaty was signed between the Allied and
Associated Powers and Turkey at Sevres on
August 10, 1920.
ARTICLE 95.
The High Contracting Parties agree to
entrust, by application of the provisions of
Article 22, the administration of Palestine,
within such boundaries as may be
determined by the Principal Allied Powers,
to a Mandatory to be selected by the said
Powers. The Mandatory will be responsible
for putting into effect the declaration
originally made on November 2, 1917, by
the British Government, and adopted by the
other Allied Powers, in favour of the
establishment in Palestine of a national
home for the Jewish people, it being clearly
understood that nothing shall be done
which may prejudice the civil and religious
rights of existing non-Jewish communities in
Palestine, or the rights and political status
enjoyed by Jews in any other country.
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