The Great War marked a period of profound change for the Middle East and the balance of power in the Arab world. The vast Ottoman Empire, which had ruled over numerous Arab populations from the Persian Gulf to Syria, from Egypt to Baghdad, came under assault by British forces, who, despite significant challenges, managed to make substantial inroads into Ottoman territory. The British advanced along two main fronts: one towards Palestine through the Suez Canal and the other towards Baghdad via Basra. However, the fate of the territories taken from Turkish control remained uncertain until the secret Sykes-Picot Agreement outlined their future.

Diplomats Mark Sykes and François Georges-Picot devised a map dividing the Middle East into spheres of influence: France would control Syria and Lebanon, while Britain would oversee Iraq, Jordan, and Palestine. Yet, this partition entirely disregarded the ethnic and religious diversity of the local population, laying the groundwork for future tensions. The plan remained secret until 1917, when the Bolsheviks, after the Russian Revolution, uncovered and exposed it to the world, revealing the deception. Arabs, who had anticipated independence from Ottoman rule as promised by the British, felt betrayed, and British support for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine further strained relations.

Today, the Sykes-Picot Agreement is seen as a symbol of political interference and manipulation by Western powers in the Middle East. The borders drawn without consultation of local populations split cohesive ethnic groups and merged distinctly different ones, creating tensions that continue to affect the region. This secret agreement not only redrew borders but left a legacy of divisions with which the Middle East is still grappling.