What is the impact of World War 2 on the Middle East?

Answer 1

Answer 1

There was lots of death. The unequal division of the Russian territories by the foreign powers of the big three so that each of the major countries could make claims to middle eastern fossil fuel resources. The implications of western thinking and the ignorance of not learning or accepting what the the inhabiting peoples need have led to the current problems in the Middle East.

Answer 2

There were numerous impacts in the Middle East and across North Africa as a result of World War II. The discussion below highlights some of the more pertinent impacts, but it is certainly not exhaustive.

1) Independence: World War II financially exhausted Britain and France, who were the dominant colonial powers in that part of the World. The British quickly realized that they could not maintain their colonial empire and thus began to give independence to the former colonies. The French were less willing to part with their past. In light of the independence of former British colonies, many French colonies such as Algeria, rose up in armed resistance to the foreign occupation. The struggle for Arab independence and Arab self-government is a defining attribute of the post-War period.

2) Arab-Israeli Conflict (strictly defined): When the British withdrew from the Mandate of Palestine just after the War (for the reasons outlined above), Jewish and Arab Militias began to fight to determine the future of the region. The failure of the British to clearly state what the future of that territory was to be and both sides' continued failures to live up to international treaty obligations has prolonged the conflict.

3) Fascist Influences in Arab Nationalism: In the inter-war period and certainly during World War II, Nazi Propaganda reached the Middle East where it was seen quite positively. The Nazis discussed a single master race which had inherited a divine will to accede to greatness only to have been defeated by lesser peoples (both abroad and domestically). The Arabs felt similarly to this and Arab Nationalism began to take on influences from Europe. Leading Arab Nationalists like Huseini formed strong partnerships with Nazis and began to institute anti-Semitic and anti-Christian policies in the Middle East. Since these sentiments have been so thoroughly enmeshed in Arab Nationalism, it is hard for many Arabs to see beyond them and recognize truly great things about their past.

4) War Casualties: This almost goes without saying, but World War II also had an important North African theatre with fighting occurring in all five North African countries. In terms of civilians killed (aside from combat), the Nazis never properly organized a Holocaust in North Africa, but numerous communities were either evicted or made to suffer undue hardship. In addition, major cities across North Africa were thoroughly destroyed.