On this day in history

In 1917, the British defeated the Ottoman Turks at the battle of Rafa.
While much attention is paid to the fighting in France and Flanders, the Middle Eastern campaigns of the Great War are less well considered. With the present troubles in that region, perhaps this situation should be altered?

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SatyrService · M

the real disaster was right after the war
the Sykes-Picot agreement DREW the map of the middle east,, that we have now
two colonialists, carving up our future
that theatre of ops was horrific too

MandyMitchell · 80-89, F

@SatyrService how long have these ME nations been independent now? israel, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon?

SatyrService · M

@MandyMitchell each is different and when you consider the support of many of those nations, by the colonial powers. the question is have ANY of them really been independent?

MandyMitchell · 80-89, F

@SatyrService As independent as anybody else in a global world. All the nations I mentioned were under Ottoman domination before the First World War and under LofN mandate for about thirty years, or less. So independent for twice as long, roughly.