Conflict in the Middle East
Aligned to C3.D2.His.8 — C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Much of today's conflict in the Middle East traces back to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, when European powers drew new borders and made competing promises to Arabs and Jews. Disputes over land, national identity, oil, and religion have fueled wars and tensions in the region ever since.
Worked example
After World War I, the secret Sykes-Picot Agreement let Britain and France divide former Ottoman lands into territories like Iraq and Syria, drawing borders that grouped rival communities together and still spark disputes today.
Practice questions
- Name one event that helped set the stage for modern Middle Eastern conflict.
- Explain how decisions made by outside powers after World War I affected the region.
- Analyze why land, identity, and resources can make a regional conflict so difficult to resolve.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
El conflicto en el Medio Oriente
Gran parte del conflicto actual en el Medio Oriente se remonta al colapso del Imperio otomano tras la Primera Guerra Mundial, cuando las potencias europeas trazaron nuevas fronteras e hicieron promesas contrapuestas a árabes y judíos. Las disputas por la tierra, la identidad nacional, el petróleo y la religión han alimentado guerras y tensiones en la región desde entonces.
Ejemplo: Tras la Primera Guerra Mundial, el secreto Acuerdo Sykes-Picot permitió a Gran Bretaña y Francia dividir las antiguas tierras otomanas en territorios como Irak y Siria, trazando fronteras que agruparon a comunidades rivales y que aún provocan disputas hoy.
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