Significant Events of the Middle East

By 213361
  • Oil Discovered in Middle East

    -Increased value of the Middle East
    -Created conflict between Middle Eastern nations that contained more oil; hindered creation of a united Arab state
    -Causes great disparity of national wealth in the Middle East
  • Sykes Picot Agreement

    -Secret meeting between Great Britain and France
    -GB and France divide the Middle East and choose territories for themselves
    -A root cause of territorial problems and conflicts among Arab nations/states
    -Conflicts over territories among Arab nations/states are ongoing
  • Balfour Declaration

    -Allowed the mass migration of Jews from all over the world to Palestine
    -Root cause of anti-Israeli and anti-American sentiment among Arabs and Palestinians
    -Cause of ongoing conflict between Arab and Jews, Israel and Palestine
  • Ba'ath Party

    -Assumes power in Syria in 1957
    -Uses idea of Pan-Arabism to unite Egypt and Syria into one nation, called the United Arab Republic in 1958 under Nasser of Egypt
    -Highest point of Pan-Arabism; party unable to get rest of Arab nations on board
    -Split due to oil and wealth
  • 1948 War

    -May 15, 1948 to March 1949
    -Ensured the independency of Israel
    -Caused by establishment of the Republic of Israel on May 15, 1948
    -U.S. supplies Israel with technology; creates anti-American sentiment among Arabs and Palestinians
  • Yom-Kippur War

    -October 6, 1973 to October 26, 1973
    -Turning point in Israeli and Arab nations relationships
    -Sparks beginning of peace talks; leads to the Camp David Accords, in which Egypt is the first Arab nation to recognize Israel
  • Ruhollah Khomeini's Return to Iran

    -Returned after living in exile in France
    -Further spreads anti-American sentiment; calls U.S. the "great satan"
    -Causes the Iranian Revolution and inspires other revolutions around the world
    -Worked to end Shah regime
    -Leads to terrorism against Americans; holds 52 American diplomats/civilians hostage; further creates anti-Muslim and anti-Arab sentiment among Americans
  • Soviet-Afghan War

    -December 25, 1979 to February 15, 1989
    -Soviets invade in hopes of spreading Communism
    -Forces Pakistan to create the Taliban
    -Causes the formation of Al-Qaeda which leads to terrorism and conflict with the United States; leads to infamous 9/11 attacks
  • Iran-Iraq War

    -September 22, 1980 to August 20, 1988
    -Makes Iraq the poorest country in Middle East
    -Slows GDP growth in Iraq
    -Economic devastation; lower costs of oil ruins economies in Middle East but aides United States greatly
    -Iran develops anti-American sentiment since America helps Iraq; caused Iran to shoot down plane and kill 290 passengers
    -Rose the price of oil and disturbed oil production in the Middle East
  • Persian Gulf War

    -August 2, 1990 to February 28, 1991
    -Caused by:
    -Iraq accused Kuwait of stealing oil from Iraqi territory
    -Kuwait originally a part of Iraq
    -Baghdad not happy with Kuwait's demand for repayment of loans during Iran-Iraq War.
    -Results:
    -U.S. involvement --> Operation Desert Storm to liberate Kuwait
    -U.S. doesn't occupy Baghdad or overthrow Saddam Hussein; this leads to invasion in 2003 when U.S. aim to overthrow Hussein
  • Taliban in Afghanistan

    -September 1996 to November 2001
    -Arose due to Soviet occupation of Afghanistan
    -Ruins the education system in Afghanistan
    -Treats women unfairly which leads to bad economy and society; the patriarchy does not allow a strong economy and keeps nation in poverty
    -Enforce hunger, malnourishment, and lack of access to food
    -Protect Osama Bin Laden which leads to US invasion and the fall of the Taliban
    -Terrorism against various Middle Eastern nations and Afghanistan after downfall and while ruling
  • U.S.-Iraq War

    -March 20, 2003 to December 18, 2011
    -Migration to different Middle Eastern nations for safety; external and internal displacement
    -Humanitarian crisis
    -Extreme unemployment and poverty
    -Unintentionally contributes to the creation of the terrorist organization called ISIS
    -Al-Qaeda in Iraq