The partition and military occupation of Ottoman territories by Allied powers following World War I set the stage for a century of conflict that defines the region to this day. In this episode, we explore how the British and French betrayal of the Arab Revolt led to the fracturing of the Middle East, leaving leaders like Sharif Hussein with broken promises and divided lands.
We delve into the chaotic British occupation of Iraq, where colonial administrators struggled to stitch together the disparate Ottoman provinces of Basra, Baghdad, and Mosul into a single state, ignoring deep religious and ethnic divides. Meanwhile, in the north, the Allied invasion of Anatolia pushes the Turkish people to the brink. As Greek, French, and Italian armies carve up the peninsula, we witness the spark of the Turkish National Resistance under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, a movement that would fight against impossible odds for survival.