⚔️📍 London, England1916
Sykes-Picot Agreement — Britain and France Divide the Middle East
Britain and France secretly agreed to divide the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire between them after the war, drawing borders that ignored existing tribal and ethnic boundaries. The agreement directly contradicted promises of Arab independence made by the British.
The Sykes-Picot borders created the modern states of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, and their artificial nature contributed to political instability and conflicts that continue today.
Outcome
Middle East divided; promises to Arab allies broken