“Terrorism and the Mandate System: The Long-Term Effects of World War I”

Abstract

World War I was unlike any war before it, and its end brought about an era of change. After much deliberation, the Allied powers issued the Treaty of Versailles; Article 22 of the treaty, also known as the Mandate System, listed several territories in the Turkish Empire that were to be put under the rule of advanced nations until they were able to stand on their own. Although intended as a stabilizing measure, the Mandate System brought about many unwelcomed changes in the Middle East, and as a result, modern society is facing the threat of terrorism like never before. This study examines the Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916 and the Treaty of Versailles (1919), along with scholarly analyses of Western actions in the Arab world during the post-WWI period (Gelvin, 1995; Hovsepian, 1995; Gorman, 2005; Natarajan, 2011). Based on this research, the presentation argues that the U.S. should avoid invasive measures like those taken after WWI in the Middle East and instead approach these regions with more respect for their history and culture. This presentation is proposed as part of the “Commemorating World War I” panel.