The Middle East has experienced centuries of foreign intervention, mostly for control of the resources within the region. From the Crusades, to the World Wars and eventually to the current events in Syria, foreign nations have interfered with the social, economic, and government affairs for their own gain. Specifically, this paper will argue that during times of progress and modernization these foreign nations took advantage of Middle Eastern nations, such as Egypt, Syria, Persia, and the Ottoman Empire. Specific events, such as the French and British invasion of Egypt, Persian concessions, the effects of the Mandate system, and the formation of the Seven Sisters oil cartel are major influences on Middle Eastern history. In discussing these
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Persia, under the Qajar dynasty in the late 1800s, began an attempt to modernize their government and infrastructure to improve the lives of Persians and improve the economy. Funding became a problem and the monarch began to sell the mineral rights of his nation in ‘concessions’. European businessmen quickly bought massive portions of Persia’s mineral rights, which devastated the economy and disturbed the populace. Baron Julius de Reuter’s acquisition of the rights for “minerals, transportation, banking, and logging” giving de Reuter control over the Persian economy. This move was so unpopular that the monarch had to repeal this acquisition due to popular unrest. The concessions sold polarized the country between north and south as the Russian and British empires controlled Persia’s resources to such an extent that it hindered the growth of the nation actually stopped modernizing due to the two empires undermining each other. The competition against one another got so bad that the Anglo-Russian Entente was written between the two nations to maintain balance. The document established the borders of their influence and states that these nations “would not oppose the grant of any concessions” to the other country. This imperialistic control of the resources of Persia took advantage of a nation trying to modernize itself, and …show more content…
Seven foreign oil companies created a cartel that profited off the Middle Eastern resources. The Seven Sisters, the name of the foreign cartel, had much dominance over the most valuable economic resource. For example, in 1901, a man named D’Arcy obtained the oil rights for a large portion of Persia’s oil, but eventually sold the rights to the British, who eventually created a consortium which did not benefit the nations from which the oil was being taken, and they could not hinder the companies from doing so. This kind of business tactic again slowed the progress and modernization of the Middle East. Eventually, the oil producing nations created their own oil cartel because they wanted to control their “most valuable national resource.” The creation of this organization allowed these countries to use their profits the help modernize their nation, help their people, and regain independence from foreign powers from disturbing their
Persia, under the Qajar dynasty in the late 1800s, began an attempt to modernize their government and infrastructure to improve the lives of Persians and improve the economy. Funding became a problem and the monarch began to sell the mineral rights of his nation in ‘concessions’. European businessmen quickly bought massive portions of Persia’s mineral rights, which devastated the economy and disturbed the populace. Baron Julius de Reuter’s acquisition of the rights for “minerals, transportation, banking, and logging” giving de Reuter control over the Persian economy. This move was so unpopular that the monarch had to repeal this acquisition due to popular unrest. The concessions sold polarized the country between north and south as the Russian and British empires controlled Persia’s resources to such an extent that it hindered the growth of the nation actually stopped modernizing due to the two empires undermining each other. The competition against one another got so bad that the Anglo-Russian Entente was written between the two nations to maintain balance. The document established the borders of their influence and states that these nations “would not oppose the grant of any concessions” to the other country. This imperialistic control of the resources of Persia took advantage of a nation trying to modernize itself, and …show more content…
Seven foreign oil companies created a cartel that profited off the Middle Eastern resources. The Seven Sisters, the name of the foreign cartel, had much dominance over the most valuable economic resource. For example, in 1901, a man named D’Arcy obtained the oil rights for a large portion of Persia’s oil, but eventually sold the rights to the British, who eventually created a consortium which did not benefit the nations from which the oil was being taken, and they could not hinder the companies from doing so. This kind of business tactic again slowed the progress and modernization of the Middle East. Eventually, the oil producing nations created their own oil cartel because they wanted to control their “most valuable national resource.” The creation of this organization allowed these countries to use their profits the help modernize their nation, help their people, and regain independence from foreign powers from disturbing their