How did the Middle East's borders change after WWI?

After WWI, the Middle East's borders were significantly redrawn, leading to the creation of several new states.

The end of World War I brought about significant changes to the political landscape of the Middle East. The defeat of the Ottoman Empire, which had controlled much of the region for centuries, led to its disintegration and the creation of several new states. The borders of these states were largely determined by the victors of the war, particularly Britain and France, through a series of agreements and treaties.

The most significant of these was the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916, a secret treaty between Britain and France with the assent of Russia. This agreement divided the Ottoman Empire into several zones of influence, with Britain gaining control of areas that would become Iraq, Jordan and Palestine, and France gaining what would become Syria and Lebanon. This agreement largely ignored the ethnic, religious and cultural divisions within these areas, leading to significant tension and conflict in the years to come.

In addition to the Sykes-Picot Agreement, the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920 further formalised the division of the Ottoman Empire. This treaty, however, was never ratified by the new Turkish Republic, which emerged from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire. The subsequent Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 recognised the sovereignty of the new Turkish state and established its borders, but did not address the status of the Arab lands that had been part of the Ottoman Empire.

The creation of these new states and the drawing of their borders was often done with little regard for the ethnic, religious and cultural realities on the ground. This has led to significant tension and conflict in the region, as groups found themselves either divided by new borders or forced to live within states where they were a minority. The legacy of these decisions continues to shape the politics and conflicts of the Middle East today.