As Colonial Secretary of Great Britain in the 1920s, Winston Churchill made a mistake with far-reaching consequences that are still felt into the twenty-first century. Christopher Catherwood, historian and advisor to the Blair government, examines Churchill's creation of the artificial monarchy of Iraq after the First World War. In doing so, hostile groups—Sunni Kurds and Arabs and Shiite Muslims—were brought together under one monarch. Against global national sentiments and the aspirations of oppressed peoples to govern themselves, Churchill placed the remaining parts of the Ottoman Empire under one state, leading to a hotspot in the Middle East.
Key points:
- During the First World War, Great Britain encouraged the Hashemite clan to believe they would rule over Syria to turn the Arabs against the Turks, even though the country had already been promised to France.
- After the war, Churchill created Iraq and appointed Faisal as king, although he had no ties to the country.
- This decision led in 1958 to a military coup against the Hashemite regime and a series of increasingly bloody regimes, resulting in Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath government.
- The book contains photos and maps to support the narrative.
Author
Christopher Catherwood was an advisor in the Blair Cabinet's Strategy Unit and worked in the Admiralty building where Churchill sat as First Lord of the Admiralty during 1939-1940. He teaches history at the universities of Cambridge and Richmond (Virginia) and is annually Writer in Residence. His publications include, among others, Why the Nations Rage, Britain's Balkan Dilemma in World War II, and Christians, Muslims and Islamic Rage.
Language and use
This publication is in English and suitable for advanced language learners (C1-C2), academics, and professionals interested in history and geopolitics. It is a valuable learning tool for independent study and education.
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