The modern Middle East as it exists today consists of complex interactions between the political, economic, and social spheres. Though it would be simple to attribute conflict in the area to something basic such as the supposed inherent violence in Islam, a look further in the past is necessary to fully understand the Middle East as it exists today. By analyzing the great nineteenth century transformation and World War I, a clear understanding of the political, economic, and social landscapes of the modern Middle East will develop. EDIT ME
The great nineteenth century transformation saw numerous transformations, from market place economies to market economies, to the creation and destruction of social categories. Perhaps the most drastic shift …show more content…
In the past, households would produce crops for their own consumption. However, following European example, governments in the Middle East began to provide incentives to grow cash crops. Farms began to produce for the market, rather than for their own households. This allowed Middle Eastern states to tap into the lucrative international market. Accompanied by tax reforms, Middle Eastern states saw a rapid increase in wealth. This shift was largely affected by imperialism, whereby outside powers, such as the British in Egypt, would build infrastructure to promote efficient production. While European states promoted agricultural development, they tactfully discouraged advances in industry to maintain control over the region. Furthermore, while the region enjoyed temporary success, it would come crashing down as foreign powers sought to cash in on the debts owed to them by Middle Eastern states. The economic effects of the nineteenth century transformation would be fully grasped in the early twentieth …show more content…
Though the focus of World War one was primarily in Europe, it had devastating political, economic, and social effects on the Middle East. Politically, WWI is referred to as the “graveyard of empires”, and rightfully so. The Ottoman Empire suffered the most casualties of all the combatants, reaching nearly 5 million deaths. In Persia, many died of famine, leading to the occupation of Persia by Russia and Britain. Overall, World War One saw the fall of three continental empires, the Russian, Hapsburg, and Ottoman. As soon as the Ottoman Empire sided with the central powers, the entente powers, consisting of Britain, France, and Russia, began making plans to pick apart the empire after the war. This led to a huge land rush in the Middle East and Africa, with European and American powers seeking influence in the region. Following the war, state building took the forms of diplomacy and revolutions. The geographical and economic interests of Britain, France, and the other entente powers would determine how states were treated, or rather how directly they would be exploited. In the Levant and Mesopotamia regions, a new state system was brought territories of Israel Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Iran, which was formally the Persian Empire. In fact, in Iran, Reza Khan founded a dynasty that would last through 1979. In Egypt, revolutions
The great nineteenth century transformation saw numerous transformations, from market place economies to market economies, to the creation and destruction of social categories. Perhaps the most drastic shift …show more content…
In the past, households would produce crops for their own consumption. However, following European example, governments in the Middle East began to provide incentives to grow cash crops. Farms began to produce for the market, rather than for their own households. This allowed Middle Eastern states to tap into the lucrative international market. Accompanied by tax reforms, Middle Eastern states saw a rapid increase in wealth. This shift was largely affected by imperialism, whereby outside powers, such as the British in Egypt, would build infrastructure to promote efficient production. While European states promoted agricultural development, they tactfully discouraged advances in industry to maintain control over the region. Furthermore, while the region enjoyed temporary success, it would come crashing down as foreign powers sought to cash in on the debts owed to them by Middle Eastern states. The economic effects of the nineteenth century transformation would be fully grasped in the early twentieth …show more content…
Though the focus of World War one was primarily in Europe, it had devastating political, economic, and social effects on the Middle East. Politically, WWI is referred to as the “graveyard of empires”, and rightfully so. The Ottoman Empire suffered the most casualties of all the combatants, reaching nearly 5 million deaths. In Persia, many died of famine, leading to the occupation of Persia by Russia and Britain. Overall, World War One saw the fall of three continental empires, the Russian, Hapsburg, and Ottoman. As soon as the Ottoman Empire sided with the central powers, the entente powers, consisting of Britain, France, and Russia, began making plans to pick apart the empire after the war. This led to a huge land rush in the Middle East and Africa, with European and American powers seeking influence in the region. Following the war, state building took the forms of diplomacy and revolutions. The geographical and economic interests of Britain, France, and the other entente powers would determine how states were treated, or rather how directly they would be exploited. In the Levant and Mesopotamia regions, a new state system was brought territories of Israel Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Iran, which was formally the Persian Empire. In fact, in Iran, Reza Khan founded a dynasty that would last through 1979. In Egypt, revolutions