The Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921

196 Pages·2004·3.07 MB·english

by  Reeva Spector Simon

The Creation of Iraq, 1914–1921
TheSykes-PicotAgreement
The Creation of Iraq, 1914–1921
Edited by
Reeva Spector Simon and
Eleanor H. Tejirian
c o l u m b i a u n i v e r s i t y p r e s s n e w y o r k
Name /mea_simon_106840/106840_00fm/Mp_4 09/27/2004 02:39PM Plate # 0 pg 4 # 1
columbia university press
PublishersSince1893
NewYork Chichester,WestSussex
Copyright(cid:1)2004ColumbiaUniversityPress
AllrightsReserved
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
TheCreationofIraq,1914–1921/editedbyReevaSpector
SimonandEleanorH.Tejirian.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferences(p.)andindex.
ISBN0–231–13292–1(cl.:alk.paper) — ISBN0–231–
13293–X(pa.:alk.paper)
1.Iraq—History—1534–1921. 2.Iraq—History—Revolt,
1920. 3.GreatBritain—Relations—Iraq. 4.Iraq—Relations—
GreatBritain. I.Simon,ReevaS. II.Tejirian,EleanorHarvey
DS77.C74 2004
956.7(cid:2)03—dc22 2004045639
A
ColumbiaUniversityPressbooksareprinted
onpermanentanddurableacid-freepaper.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
p 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ReferencestoInternetWebSites(URLs)wereaccurateatthe
timeofwriting.Neithertheeditors,thecontributors,nor
ColumbiaUniversityPressisresponsibleforWebsitesthat
mayhaveexpiredorchangedsincethearticleswereprepared.
Contents
ListofMaps vii
ForewordbyGarySick ix
Introduction 1
ReevaSpectorSimonandEleanorH.Tejirian
1. TheViewfromBasra:SouthernIraq’sReactiontoWarand
Occupation,1915–1925 19
JudithS.Yaphe
2. TheViewfromBaghdad 36
ReevaSpectorSimon
3. MosulQuestions:Economy,Identity,andAnnexation 50
SarahShields
4. TheEvolutionoftheIran-IraqBorder 61
LawrenceG.Potter
5. AKemalistGambit:AViewofthePoliticalNegotiationsinthe
DeterminationoftheTurkish-IraqiBorder 80
DavidCuthell
6. KurdsandtheFormationoftheStateofIraq,1917–1932 95
M.R.Izady
vi Contents
7. TheOilResourcesofIraq:TheirRoleinthePoliciesofthe
GreatPowers 110
GeorgeE.Gruen
8. RussiafromEmpiretoRevolution:TheIllusionoftheEmerging
NationStateintheSouthCaucasusandBeyond 125
PeterSinnott
9. Britain,France,andtheDiplomaticAgreements 134
DavidFromkin
10. TheUnitedStates,theOttomanEmpire,andthe
PostwarSettlement 146
EleanorH.Tejirian
Postscript 162
Appendix:TheSykes-PicotAgreementof1916 165
AdditionalReadings 169
ListofContributors 171
Index 175
List of Maps
Frontispiece. Sykes-PicotAgreement(MiddleEast)
4.1. Iran-IraqBoundary 64
4.2. Iran-IraqBoundaryintheShattalArab 73
6.1. Sykes-PicotAgreement(Iraq) 97
6.2. ProvisionsoftheTreatyofSevres 101
6.3. TreatyofLausanne 103
6.4. MandatesinArabia 106

Foreword
Shortly after World War I, the state we know today as
Iraqwasinvented.Someeightyyearslater,theUnitedStatesandafew
othercountriesinvadedIraqwiththedeclaredobjectiveofreinventing
atleast itssystemofgovernment.Theeditorsofthisvolume(whoalso
organized the conference that gave birth to it) chose to explore the
historyofthecreationofIraq,buttheyalsoimplicitlyposedthequestion
of whether the British experience in the early twentieth century had
specialmeaningandlessonsfortheinvadersandliberatorsofthetwenty-
first.
Infact,whilethereweremanyparallelsbetweenthetwo,itwasalso
strikinghowmany differencestherewere.TheIraqof1915–1925was
a much more primitive place. Iraq in 2003 had an efficient and func-
tioningbureaucracy.Althoughthatbureaucraticmachinerywasattimes
usedfornefariouspurposes,itneverthelessprovidedaninvaluablebase
of expertise and experience that was almost entirely absent when the
BritishmarchednorthtoBaghdad.By2003Iraqwasnolongeranillit-
eratesociety;masseducationhadpenetratedalmosteverycornerofthe
populace. By the twenty-first century, oil had become the centerpiece
of theIraqieconomy. In the 1920sit wasnot.Oilchangesthings.Itis
typicallyregardedasablessing,sinceitgeneratesgreatrevenue.Butoil
also has a perverse effect on countries that have it, since money goes
directlyintothecentralstatecofferswithlittleornonegoingdirectlyto