HIS 321 World War I in the Middle East
World War I, or “The Great War,” lasted from 1914-1918, and its combatants were convinced it was the “war to end all wars.” This course will focus on the Middle East front, the Ottoman Empire, which had allied with Germany and fought on five fronts against Great Britain, Russia, and Arab rebels. The Ottoman experience of World War I will be discussed and analyzed within the context of an Empire undergoing incredible transformations, yet faced with the corrosive pressures emanating from European powers. By the War’s end, the centuries-old empire ceased to exist and many of the states that now characterize the Middle East took its place. By studying the history of this Empire in the context of a World War, students will be introduced to the major elements affecting the current Middle East: nationalism, tribalism, colonialism, and Islamist politics.