At the end of World War I France and Great Britain partitioned the once great Ottoman Empire

guided by their own interest and in the end the states that emerged was Levant and Mesopotamia
(Gelvin, 2011). Levant and Mesopotamia would be the future sites of Middle Eastern countries
such as Syria, Lebanon, Israel/Palestine, Jordan, and Iraq (Gelvin, 2011). Britain and
France estabolished states that had never existed before, but the only contrast was that Turkey,
Iran, Saudi-Arabia, and Egypt would emerge as independents and not fall under
European impirialism (Gelvin, 2011). These countries became independent due to heroic efforts
by leaders or founding generations and were able to build firmer foundations within there own
nations that the states under European rule could not due to restrinctions (Gelvin, 2011).
Before the First World War Britain and France negotiated secret treaties to support territorial
claims that would also make them allies and provide compensation to keep Middle Eastern
countries in their control (Gelvin, 2011). For example, the Constantinople Agreement let Russia
claim the Turkist Straits, France Claimed Syria, and Britain claimed Persia and all this was done
with providing compensation to offset war with these countries (Gelvin, 2011). Other secret
treaties were; the Treaty of London, the Sykes-Picot Agreement, and the Treaty of Saint-Jean de
Maurienne which all applied the principal of compensation inorder to aquire territories without
struggle (Gelvin, 2011). Basically, France and Britain saw that war could hurt their international
interest, so they prepared themselves for war and possibly after the war.
At the end of the war and once the Big Three powers got involved, the United States wanted
a level playing field when it came to free trade and this became a source of division at the Paris
Peace talks (Gelvin, 2011). The US wanted to end imperial trade preferences that colonial
powers enjoyed, were Britain and France wanted to continue colonial rule just the way it had
always been regarding trade (Gelvin, 2011). The mandates of the League of Nations basically
gave these decisions over territories out of the inhabitants and left decisions to the big three
following the First World War (Gelvin, 2011). In the end France and Britain did play a major role
in the creation f states in the Middle East due the mandates that entrusted the territories of the
Ottoman Empire and also create self-rule within these newly formed states (Gelvin, 2011).

Gelvin, James L. (2011). The Modern Middle East: A History (3rd ed.). Oxford, New York:
Oxford University Press, Inc.

The end of World War I saw both France and Great Britain taking actions in their own interest.
This was witnessed by partitioning the once grand Ottoman Empire into smaller countries that
became the domain of the two nations to rule and start the work of colonization. The primary
objective was to gain control over their economic and political freedom. This is also witnessed
by the secret treaties between Britain and France. While on paper, they tried to provide
independence and self- rule within these newly formed states, but they were practically
dependent on the two countries for their economic survival.