History of the Modern Middle East - Part II

Our journey through the history and culture of the modern Middle East resumes at the end of the First World War. The collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the partitioning of the region into European spheres of influence will provide historic context for many current conflicts. From vague post-war treaties to the creation of new states to British-mandated Palestine (a “twice-promised land”), the seeds of discontent, experienced today, were sown. Participants will trace the emergence of the United States as a political force in the Middle East, the rise of Arab nationalism, the sequence of Arab-Israeli conflicts/treaties/and accords, the oil crisis of the 70’s, and the return to political Islam in its many manifestations. The rapid development and modernization of the Persian Gulf states, sub-regional schisms within the Gulf Cooperation Council, the competition for hegemony between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the return of Russian influence, and the legacy of U.S. intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan are among the topics to be explored in an effort to better understand this fascinating, if volatile, region.