Middle East Mid-Term

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[July 18, 2019]

Middle East Mid-Term

1. It is no wonder that Europeans were ruling in the world in the past centuries. They were trying to leave their imprints on every single area of the world, and the region of the Middle East was no exception. There have been numerous chapters of Crusades in the past when west interfered duly and actively. When the Ottoman Empire rose after the fall of Constantinople, it began asserting itself in the region. Ottoman Empire was magnificent in its outlook and substance. It was the strong force for Europeans that was yet to be reckoned as it controlled the Mediterranean Sea, Dardanelles Strait, and the Black Sea. Europeans, at that time, were in a hunt of new markets and resources. They wanted to explore every corner of the known world to boost their trade and shipping activities. Thus, Europe started interfering in the middle east and implemented its Divide and Rule Policy successfully. Europeans were most interested in this oil-rich region and the old Silk Road Route in the world as Otoomos were the real administrators in those trade and sea routes. Europeans wanted to streamline their trade activities with East Asai, and this is the reason they continued meddling in the internal politics of the region. With this technique in practice, this empire reflected the signs of disintegration. Some of the prominent signs at that time were: internal intrigues, constant rebellions, palace conspiracies, and incompetent successors. The mighty status of Ottomans diminished in the world, and the West started their scramble for the Middle East ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"mSK7BdY3","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Hollis)","plainCitation":"(Hollis)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":681,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/ZD9MNZ2P/items/T3WUK8U7"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/ZD9MNZ2P/items/T3WUK8U7"],"itemData":{"id":681,"type":"article-journal","title":"Europe and the Middle East: power by stealth?","container-title":"International Affairs","page":"15–29","volume":"73","issue":"1","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"Europe and the Middle East","author":[{"family":"Hollis","given":"Rosemary"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1997"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Hollis). After World war, the Ottoman Empire was dismembered as per the provisions of the Treaty of Sevres among the victors ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"JDQr1nCy","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Lewis)","plainCitation":"(Lewis)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":683,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/ZD9MNZ2P/items/U272QIM9"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/ZD9MNZ2P/items/U272QIM9"],"itemData":{"id":683,"type":"article-journal","title":"Some reflections on the decline of the Ottoman Empire","container-title":"Studia Islamica","page":"111–127","issue":"9","source":"Google Scholar","author":[{"family":"Lewis","given":"Bernard"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1958"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Lewis) once and for all, and this became modern-day Turkey in the world. However, Europeans left an indelible mark on the region, and this is still obvious when the notorious agreements of Sykes-Picot ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"fAK5Rnk1","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Fitzgerald)","plainCitation":"(Fitzgerald)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":674,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/ZD9MNZ2P/items/W3IFAT83"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/ZD9MNZ2P/items/W3IFAT83"],"itemData":{"id":674,"type":"article-journal","title":"France's Middle Eastern ambitions, the Sykes-Picot negotiations, and the oil fields of Mosul, 1915-1918","container-title":"The Journal of Modern History","page":"697–725","volume":"66","issue":"4","source":"Google Scholar","author":[{"family":"Fitzgerald","given":"Edward Peter"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1994"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Fitzgerald) and Bal four Declaration are still remembered in this modern world.

2. Nationalism is the word that comes from the nation. It is the feeling or the sentiment of taking pride in one's nation. This is the twentieth-century concept when nations all over the world began to raise voice for their rights and legitimate concerns and paved the way for the decolonization process. Theoretically, it a concept which has two meanings. One is the sense of identity among the members of that very nation ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"Iaxp6RZh","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Gilbert)","plainCitation":"(Gilbert)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":676,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/ZD9MNZ2P/items/3TCVN287"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/ZD9MNZ2P/items/3TCVN287"],"itemData":{"id":676,"type":"book","title":"The philosophy of nationalism","publisher":"Routledge","source":"Google Scholar","author":[{"family":"Gilbert","given":"Paul"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2018"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Gilbert). Second lists the actions that are taken by those members to achieve their right of self-determination. Though nations have always existed in the world, in the form of city-states. They were not treated as nations as the concept of nation-states appeared after the famous Treaty Of Westphalia (1648). A nation is the pinnacle point of nationalism such as the Aryans, Germans that gave a new direction to this concept of nationalism. It is none other than Benedict Anderson who gave the concept of an imagined community which illuminated the social construction of a community by the people who perceive themselves a part of that very social group. This concept of the imagined community also highlighted the importance of nationalism in the modern world. In this way, different nations have their perception of nationalism, such as in the case of Israel and Palestine. This is the long-standing issue in Middle East between Jews and Muslims. Palestine alleges that Jews are living in their land, and this is against Muslim Nationalism. Whereas, the Jewish community claims that they are the real owners of this area, and this has legitimate historical claims in the territory. Both sides are adamant on their view of nationalism and at are loggerhead with each other. Hence, this hardline approach on nationalism is the real reason that this issue is still bereft of solution.

Works Cited ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY

Fitzgerald, Edward Peter. “France’s Middle Eastern Ambitions, the Sykes-Picot Negotiations, and the Oil Fields of Mosul, 1915-1918.” The Journal of Modern History, vol. 66, no. 4, 1994, pp. 697–725.

Gilbert, Paul. The Philosophy of Nationalism. Routledge, 2018.

Hollis, Rosemary. “Europe and the Middle East: Power by Stealth?” International Affairs, vol. 73, no. 1, 1997, pp. 15–29.

Lewis, Bernard. “Some Reflections on the Decline of the Ottoman Empire.” Studia Islamica, no. 9, 1958, pp. 111–127.