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Drawing Lines in the Sand: Britain and the Creation of the Modern Middle East, 1882-1923

Module description

Ever since the terrorist events of 9/11, the Middle East – and Britain’s relationship with it – has rarely been out of the headlines. But what are the historical origins of Britain’s involvement in the region? This module allows you to go beyond the polemics in order to understand the origins of Britain’s interaction with the populations of the Middle East. Starting with the British imperial strategy to sustain the Ottoman Empire as a coherent whole in the late 1880s, you will chart the changes and consistencies in British foreign policy towards the region in the first half of the 20th century. Particular focus will be placed on the First World War and the impact of the post-war settlements in the 1920s. You will uncover how, in these short but turbulent years, the seeds of many of the issues facing today’s Middle East were sown.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to:

• introduce the main themes, concepts, and debates in the history of British imperialism in the Middle East. It will be relevant to both students of the modern Middle East and European imperialism in the twentieth century. It also contains interdisciplinary elements (especially politics) and will seek to relate historical issues to present day issues in Middle East politics and Anglo-Arab relations.
• explore a wide range of topics, all seeking to explore Britain’s relationship with the Ottoman Empire and the role it played in the creation of the modern Middle East. A range of historiographical perspectives are incorporated, including those of non-European historians.
• familiarise you with additional debates in colonial and post-colonial history and concepts such as ‘orientalism’ and ‘informal empire’. A strong primary source base will form the centre of seminar discussions.
• expose you to a range of primary source material including memoirs, diaries, official colonial documents, and newspapers.
• enable you  to explore potential independent project and dissertation topics as a result of these discussions. Important skills, such as group work, oral and written communication, and the ability to analyse source material for the purposes of reasoned argument, will all be developed over the course of the module.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate a broad historical knowledge and understanding of the origins, events, and legacy of British activity in the Middle East between 1882 and 1923
• 2. With limited guidance, express independent ideas and assessments on Britain's role in the creation of the modern Middle East
• 3. Understand colonial and post-colonial approaches to the study of history

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Analyse and reflect critically upon historical texts relating to a specific historical period or theme
• 5. Collate data from a range of sources, both primary and secondary
• 6. With limited guidance, understand and deploy historical terminology in a comprehensible manner
• 7. With limited guidance, handle different approaches to history in areas of controversy
• 8. Trace long-term as well as short-term historical developments

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 9. Show evidence of ability to read and use texts and source materials critically and empathetically
• 10. Present material for group discussion and have respect for others' reasoned views
• 11. With limited guidance, gather material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

• British Imperialism and Definitions of the Middle East
• The Eastern Question
• The Invasion and Occupation of Egypt, 1882
• The Rise of the Young Turks, 1908
• The Balkan Wars, 1912-1913
• Ottoman Entry into the First World War and the Arab Revolt
• The Palestine Question Emerges, 1915-1917
• The Armenian Genocide, 1915
• A Peace to End All Peace? The Peace Settlements 1918-1923
• Turkey's Road to Independence
• The Colonial Legacy

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Barr, James, A Line in the Sand: Britain, France and the struggle that shaped the Middle East (2012)
• Cleveland, William L. and Martin Bunton, A History of the Modern Middle East (6th edition, 2016)
• Fieldhouse, D.K., Western Imperialism in the Middle East, 1914-1958 (2006)
• Fraser, T.G. et al The Makers of the Modern Middle East (2011)
• Hourani, Albert, A History of the Arab Peoples (1991)
• Monroe, Elizabeth, Britain's Moment in the Middle East, 1914-1971 (1963, 1981).
• Porter, Bernard, The Lion's Share: A Short History of British Imperialism, 1850-1995 (1996).
• Rogan, Eugene, The Arabs: A History (2009)
• Rogan, Eugene, The Fall of the Ottomans (2015)
• Williams, Ann, Britain and France in the Middle East and North Africa, 1914-1967 (1968)
• Yapp, M.E., The Making of the Modern Near East, 1792-1923 (1987)
• Yapp, M.E., The Near East since the First World War (1996).

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2907

Key words search

History, Britain, Middle East, empire, imperialism, politics