"A Peace to End All Peace"

[squirrelmadness]

I just finished reading David Fromkin's A Peace to End All Peace, which examines the breakup of the Ottoman Empire after the First World War, and discusses how the Allies' messy handling of the process (primarily focused on turning the region into a collection of protectorates) helped form the Middle East that we see today. It's a very good read,

Comments

[hollow_01]

All men will fight, if that is what they are taught to do.

[morbid_curious]

It is a big question, and an important one. Also an old one: long before the Ottoman, when Alexander's forces took over the Persian Empire, they used the principle of homonoia to try to ease unrest and promote assimilation/integration of new territories into Greek culture. Of course, not everything went according to plan when it all fragmented after his death

[congo_bill]

I'd also recommend John E. Mack's "A Prince of Our Disorder", a biography of T.E. Lawrence, as well as Lawrence's own "Seven Pillars of Wisdom".