《麦克马洪——侯赛因通信》：阿拉伯世界分裂之源

第一次世界大战爆发后,英国代表麦克马洪和阿拉伯人代表候赛因以通信的形式相互保证:阿拉伯人支持英国对奥斯曼土耳其的战争,而大英政府则支持除叙利亚西部及其他少数地区外的阿拉伯世界的独立和统一。与此同时,英国又与法国暗中签订了瓜分阿拉伯世界的《赛克斯—皮克协定》,阿拉伯人依靠英国实现独立的梦想最终成为泡影。《麦克马洪—候赛因通信》在阿拉伯世界播下了分裂和动荡的火种。

The Husayn-McMahon Correspondence:Diplomacy and Intrigue to Arab Peoples

Although the Husayn-McMahon correspondence was not legally binding on either side,on June 5,1916,Husayn launched the Arab Revolt against Turkey and in October declared himself "King of the Arabs."Following the British military defeat at the Dardanelles in 1915,the Foreign Office sought a new offensive in the Middle East,which it thought could only be carried out by reassuring the French of Britain's intentions in the region.In February 1916,the Sykes-Picot Agreement was signed,which,contrary to the contents of the Husayn-McMahon correspondence,proposed to partition the Middle East into French and British zones of control and interest.Under the Sykes-Picot Agreement,Palestine was to be administered by an international"condominium"of the British,French,and Russians.