The Making of the Modern Middle East

Why does the Middle East continue to be so complex, fragmented and highly contested, never more so than today? Rupert Wallace’s series of talks and discussions provide an analytical framework to help us understand the often chaotic, unstable and violent region. The sessions encompass the transformational impact of two world wars and the emergence of Zionism and Arab nationalism, the rise of political Islam including the revolution in Iran, and the external military interventions following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The course will then discuss the Arab Uprisings, continuing and widespread conflict (most recently in Gaza and Lebanon), and will conclude with the emergence of new power blocs and structures within the context of the highly unpredictable evolution of global politics. 

Aims 

This course aims to:

• deliver a stimulating and enjoyable series of talks and discussions both for those with a general or specific interest in the region and for students in higher or further education 
   
• provide both a broad and a long context to enable you to further develop your knowledge and critical analysis of a complex and often contested set of issues 
   
• encourage you to contribute at whatever level you wish 

Content

The ‘Middle East’ is rarely out of the headlines, retaining a centrality and exerting extraordinary influence, with the wars in Gaza and Lebanon only the latest manifestations of upheaval. It is a region that represents and encapsulates so many of the major currents of historical development, from its most ancient heritage, the emergence of the three principal monotheistic religions, external penetration by a series of very different empires, and on to 20th-century nationalism, world wars, ideologies, post-colonialism and conflict. How can we best begin to understand why  
as a region it is so contested, often chaotic and frequently violent?

Rupert’s sessions will start with the demise and collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th century, which set the conditions for a power vacuum and subsequent western penetration. The first session will look at the transformative effects of the First World War, the Mandates of the inter-war period and the emergence of oil as a key resource, concluding with the convulsive geopolitical shifts occasioned by the Second World War. The second session will focus on the Arab-Israeli conflict, discussing the irreconcilable aspirations of Jews and Arabs, the creation of the State of Israel, the reactions of the Arab states, the eventual emergence of a Palestinian movement but an enduring failure to find a lasting peace. The third session will look at the wider situation of the region in the post-war decades, using the lenses of the Cold War, the rise and fall of Arab nationalism and the increasing involvement of the hitherto more distant United States.  

The impact of the much-trumpeted ‘American moment’ as the Soviet Union collapses, analysis  
of the invasion and occupation of Iraq, together with the significance of the emergence of revolutionary Iran as a major regional actor, are the subjects of the fourth talk. Finally, the fifth session will look at the Arab Uprisings, the significance of two blocs led respectively by Iran  
and a Sunni/Israeli coalition, and the ongoing and destructive campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon. 
It will conclude with a discussion of where we are today and what the future might hold for this crucial region. 

Presentation of the course  

The course will be taught in five sessions over one week. Rupert will deliver the course in an informal and discursive style, encouraging questions and points as he goes along, leading to wider discussion. He will always be available after each class to discuss and develop further any aspect of the issues covered, and to offer advice and support to those who are considering submitting written work for formal evaluation. Above all, Rupert emphasises inclusivity and a space that can comfortably accommodate a range of paces and preferences, from those who might choose to partake more by listening, to those who wish to be more active and to take intellectual risk.   

Course sessions

1. Transformation: New imperialism, world wars and nationalism, 1900-1945.  
    
2. Case Study: The Arab-Israeli Conflict 1881-1973.
    
3. Independence, Aspirations and Possibilities: Arab Nationalism, the Cold War and a Third Way 1945-1989.
    
4. Interventions and the seeds of chaos: American unipolarity, fresh penetrations, and new battle lines drawn, 2003-2010.  
    
5. Uprisings, Upheaval and Uncertainty: Uprisings, the emergence of new blocs and continuing wars 2010-2025. 

Learning outcomes

You are expected to gain from this series of classroom sessions a greater understanding of the subject and of the core issues and arguments central to the course.  

The learning outcomes for this course are:

• knowledge and understanding of the key events, developments and individuals in the period 
   
• deepened understanding of the issues relevant to the period, reached through reading and debate and discussion in class 
   
• construction of reasoned and supported argument in response to questions, based on close and critical reading of the historical literature 

Required reading

Robins, Philip, The Middle East: A Beginner’s Guide (One World, 2016)

Rogan, Eugene, The Fall of the Ottomans (Allen Lane, 2015)