Defining Middle Eastern Borders - Timeline

Defining Middle Eastern Borders: Timeline This timeline supplements the material covered in each of the thematic sections. The interactive format allows you to select the theme(s) you wish to cover and display only events from those themes. Select your desired theme(s) and click "update" to refresh the display.
Select Cultural; Economic; Shared; Imposed; Political;
1861		Great Britain supports Bahrain's independent sovereignty.
1882		Great Britain occupies Egypt.
1892		Trucial States (present day United Arab Emirates) begin conducting all external affairs through the British government.
1896		Publication of "The Jewish State" by Theodor Herzl.
1898		Anglo-Egyptian forces enter Sudan and establish rule over the region.
1906		Persia's (Iran's) Constitutional Revolution forces the ruler of Persia to accept a constitution.
1907		Persia (Iran) is divided into three zones, each one controlled by a different country. Great Britain takes control of the southern zone, Russia takes control of the northern zone, and the Shah of Iran maintains control of the middle zone.
1908		Oil is discovered in Persia (Iran).
July 6-24, 1908		The Turkish Revolution, led by the Young Turk Party, demands the restoration of the Ottoman constitution.
1914-1918		World War One
1914		Ottoman Empire enters World War One allied with Germany.
1914		Egypt becomes a British Protectorate.
1916-1917		Arab Revolt in Ottoman Empire helps dissolve the Empire by attacking supply lines, railroads, and oil storage tanks. British forces joined the attack in 1917. Arabs acted under the assumption that the attacks would result in an independent Arab state.
May 1916		Secretive Sykes-Picot Agreement between British and French government devises a plan to divide regions of the Fertile Crescent into spheres of influence.
November 2, 1917		Balfour Declaration paves the way for the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine by recommending a "national home for the Jewish people" be made in Palestine.
June 28, 1919		Treaty of Versailles signed. Britain and France obtain mandates to take control of the fertile crescent under article 22 of the League of Nations Charter.
August 18, 1919		Afghanistan declares its independence from Great Britain. After a brief conflict, Amanullah Khan gains control of Afghanistan and begins instituting modernizing reforms.
1920-1921		Arab anti-Jewish riots take place in Palestine.
1920		Arabs in Iraq protest British control in the region.
April 1920		San Remo Conference (Italy). Representatives from Great Britain, Italy, France, Japan, Greece, and Belgium discuss problems arising from World War One. Mandates in the Middle East are allotted. Britain receive mandates for Iraq, Transjordan, and Palestine; France receives mandates for Syria and Lebanon.
1921		Emir Abdullah becomes the first ruler of Transjordan, a British mandatory state.
1921		Reza Khan, and Iranian officer in the Persian Cossack Brigade, seizes control of the government in Iran.
1922		British control of Egypt terminated by Egyptian Declaration of Independence. Britain maintains military occupation in Egypt, however.
July 24, 1922		League of Nations formally ratifies the Mandate System in the Middle East.
1923		Republic of Turkey is proclaimed.
1923		Oil is discovered in Iraq.
May 15, 1923		Britain formally recognizes the independent state of Transjordan.
1925		France separates administrative control of Lebanon and the Syrian Republic.
1925		Reza Khan declares himself Shah of Iran. Reza Shah restores authority of Iran's central government and the nation's international status.
1926		Secular law replaces religious law in Turkey.
1928		The Muslim Brotherhood is founded as an Islamic revivalist movement in Egypt.
November 1928		Turkey adopts a new alphabet and simplifies the Turkish language.
1930's		Oil exploration begins in what would eventually become the United Arab Emirates.
1932		Iraqi Monarchy gains independence from Britain. Iraq becomes the first Arab country admitted to the League of Nations.
1932		Oil discovered in Bahrain.
1932		Saudi regions unify as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under Al-Saud rule.
1932		Syrian Socialist Nationalist Party (Antun Saada) advocates for a Syrian nation that includes Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq.
1934		Bahrain becomes the first Arab country to export oil.
1936		Military coup in Iraq.
1936		Franco-Lebanese Treaty gives Lebanon considerable autonomy.
1936		Anglo-Egyptian Treaty reduces British military involvement in Egypt, but British maintain forces in the Suez region.
1937		Peel Commission recommends the partition of Palestine.
1938		The Woodhead Commission issues its analysis of the Peel Commission report.
1938		Oil is discovered in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
1939		Britain issues the McDonald White Paper.
1941		"Thirty Day's War." Iraqi nationalist coup d'etat led by commanders sympathetic to Germany. Leads to British occupation of Baghdad and Basra.
1941		Allied Powers lead violent invasion of Iran because of Iran's relations with the Axis powers in the late 1930's. Reza Shah is forced to abdicate and his son takes control until 1979.
1943		Unwritten covenant made between Christian and Arab communities in Lebanon. Lebanese government agreed that it would not seek to unite in a pan-Arab state if the Christian would recognize the "Arab-ness" of the nation.
1943		Iraq joins World War Two and sides with the Allied forces.
1945		United Nations Charter signed.
1945		Saudi Arabia joins the United Nations.
1945		League of Arab Nations formed.
1946		The Kurdish Democratic Party, or KDP, forms in Iraq in hopes of achieving autonomy in northern Iraq.
April 17, 1946		Syria declares its independence. French and British forces withdraw from Syria, granting full independence.
1948		Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) forms.
May 14, 1948		Nation of Israel proclaimed. Unleashes immediate war with Arab neighbors, resulting in Israel's acquisition of more than 25% more territory than originally assigned to Israel.
May 15, 1948		British mandate of Palestine ends.
1948		First Palestine War: Armies of Transjordan enter Palestine with Egypt, Iraq, and Syria.
1949		Armistice leaves Transjordan in occupation of Palestinian land.
1949		Qatar begins exporting oil.
May 1949		Israel joins United Nations.
1950		Jordan becomes an independent monarchy.
1950		Aramco agreement made with Saudi Arabia.
1951		Israel rejects peace plan accepted by Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon.
1951		King Abdullah of Jordan assassinated in Jerusalem during Friday prayers.
1951		Iranian Prime Minister Mossadeq nationalizes the Iranian oil industry.
1952		Turkey joins NATO.
1952		Egyptian coup against British control led by Nasser and Anwar al-Sadat.
1953		A U.S. sanctioned coup ousts Iranian Prime Minister Mossadeq from power, returning Reza Shah Pahlevi to power.
1955		Iraq signs Baghdad Pact with Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and Britain which favors pro-British policies.
1956		Nasser's nationalization of the Suez Canal Company. France and Britain veto UN Security Council Resolution calling for Egyptian withdrawal from Sinai. British and French attack the Canal Zone. Israel joins in the invasion.
1957		Jordan revokes the Anglo-Jordan Treaty, thereby removing British troops from the region.
January 1958		Egyptian President Nasser forms the United Arab Republic, comprised of Syria and Egypt.
July 14, 1958		Iraqi Military Coup assassinates King Faisal and ends Iraqi Monarchy. Establishes Arab Republic under Qasim.
1959		Arab Oil Congress in Cairo produces unwritten agreement to allow oil producing countries to influence oil production and marketing.
December 1959		Iraq withdraws from the Baghdad Pact.
1960		OPEC founded in Baghdad.
1961		Kurdish Rebellion begins in the mountains of Iraq.
1961		Premier Kassem claims newly independent Kuwait as a province of Iraq, and British military assistance wards off invasion.
September 28, 1961		United Arab Republic dissolves in the wake of a takeover in Syria orchestrated by members of the Arab Socialist Renaissance Party (Ba'ath Party).
1962		Abu Dhabi (now part of the United Arab Emirates) begins to export petroleum.
1963		Iran initiates a series of economic, social, and administrative reforms that became known as the Shah's White Revolution. Modernization and economic growth proceeded at an unprecedented rate.
1963		Arab Socialist Renaissance Party (Ba'ath Party) gains complete control of Syria.
February 1963		Qasim killed in Iraq by Ba'athist coup.
May 29, 1964		Founding of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).
November 1964		Ayatollah Khomeni is exiled to Turkey from Iran for criticizing the Shah's reforms.
1967		Lebanon becomes a base for PLO attacks on Israel.
May 1967		Misinformed by the Soviet Union about Israeli intentions in Syria, Egyptian president Nasser orders combat troops into the Sinai, closes the Strait of Tiran, and places his military on maximum alert.
June 1967		Six Days War. Israel seizes the Golan Heights region from Syria. Israel strikes targets in Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. Six days of fighting results in Israel's retaining control of the Sinai Peninsula, the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.
November 1967		The United Nations passes Security Council Resolution 242, outlining the need for a settlement in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
November 1967		Southern Yemen gains independence from Britain.
September 22, 1968		Iraq issues its provisional constitution after the Ba'ath party overturns its non-Ba'athist allies.
1969		Golda Meir becomes Israel's Prime Minister.
1970		Iraqi Kurds proclaim their autonomy.
1970		Iran's Shah begins supporting Kurdish rebellion in Iraq because of disagreement between Iran and Iraq over the British-imposed border between the two countries.
1970		King Hussein drives the PLO out of Jordan and ends PLO use of Jordan as a base of operations. Incident comes to be known as the Black September.
1970		Northern Yemen's civil war ends after eight-years of fighting.
1971		Libya, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and Iraq negotiate to raise the price of oil by nearly $1.00 a barrel.
1971		OPEC countries begin nationalizing oil assets.
December 1971		Great Britain terminates treaties with the Trucial States and the present United Arab Emirates forms in its place.
1971		Qatar proclaims its independence from Great Britain after refusing to join the United Arab Emirates.
1972		Saudi Arabia begins negotiations to gain control of 25 percent of the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco).
1972		Iraq nationalizes the Iraq Petroleum Concession.
September 1972		"Black September" Palestinian organization kills eleven Israeli coaches and athletes at the Olympic games in Munich.
1973		Saudi Arabia leads the Arab oil embargo against the U.S. and other Western nations. Oil prices increase from $2.90 to $11.65 per barrel.
1973		Syrian Constitution requires that the President be Muslim.
October 1973		Yom Kippur War. Egypt and Syria launch full-scale war against Israeli forces occupying the Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights.
October 22, 1973		UN Security Council passes Resolution 338, calling for an immediate cease-fire and the implementation of Resolution 242.
March 1975		Algiers Agreement: Iran and Iraq reach agreement giving Iran control over the disputed Shatt al-Arab border region.
April 13, 1975- November 1976		Lebanese Civil War. Lebanese leftists, Muslims, and Palestinian guerillas fight against Maronite Christians. Ends with Syrian intervention and a Saudi-sponsored peace agreement.
November 1977		Egyptian President Anwar Sadat makes historic visit to Jerusalem, opening the door for the Camp David Summit.
1978		President Carter convenes the Israeli-Egyptian summit at Camp David. Camp David Accords are signed by Egypt, Israel, and the United States.
1979		Iraqi Vice-President Saddam Hussein succeeds al-Bakr as president.
1979-1981		Oil prices rise from $13.00 to $34.00 per barrel over this two--year period.
February 1, 1979		Exiled religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran from France to lead a revolution.
February 1979		Khomeini's revolution results in a new, theocratic Iranian Republic guided by Islamic principles. Khomeinei becomes the country's national religious leader. Islamic Fundamentalism takes hold in Iran.
1979		Egypt and Israel sign peace treaty in accordance with Camp David Framework.
November 4, 1979		Iran Hostage Crisis: Iranian students seize the American Embassy in Tehran and take 66 hostages.
November 20, 1979-December 5, 1979		Armed seizure of the Great Mosque in Mecca. Highlights dominant struggle among Saudi factions.
December 1979		Iranian Constitution adopted, defining the political, economic, and social order of the Islamic Republic.
December 1979		Iranian Constitution declares that the Shiite Islam sect is Iran's official religion.
December 1979		The Soviet military invades Afghanistan in a conflict that would span the coming decade.
September 1980		Iraqi President Sadam Hussein proclaims the 1975 Iran-Iraq Algiers Agreement null and void and Iraq invades Iran to acquire the Shatt al-Arab region. Arab states split their support in the conflict, with Joran and Saudi Arabia supporting Iraq.
1981		Egyptian President Anwar Sadat assassinated by Egyptian militants.
January 20, 1981		Iran Hostage Crisis ends with the release of the remaining 52 hostages after 444 days in captivity.
1982		Israel invades Lebanon.
1982		Iran launches offensive against Iraq, but fails to topple Ba'ath regime.
1982		Iran views the Iran-Iraq war as a Shiite vs. Sunni Jihad.
1982		Israel invades Lebanon in an offensive against the PLO. PLO leaves Lebanon and scatters throughout the Arab countries.
1982		Israeli Defense Minister Sharon forced from office and Lebanon-Israeli truce is reached.
1982		Israel withdraws from the Sinai peninsula, pursuant to Camp David Agreement.
1984		Kurdish terrorists in Turkey begin a violent campaign for independence.
1985- 1991		Lebanese Hostage Crisis: Hezbollah kidnaps and detains group of Western citizens in Lebanon.
1986		Commercial extraction of Yemen's oil begins after a conflict with Saudi Arabia for control of the reserves.
1986		The Iran-Contra affair is exposed, and President Reagan declares that his administration traded arms indirectly with Iran in exchange for hostages in Lebanon.
1986-1987		"Tanker War" between Iran and Iraq begins destroying oil tankers in the Persian Gulf.
1986		Oil prices collapse worldwide.
1987		First Palestinian Intifada begins in the West Bank and Gaza.
February 1988		Hamas founded.
February 1988		U.S. Assistant Undersecretary of State visits the Middle East to present his plans for temporary autonomy for the Palestinians.
March 1988		Iraq uses chemical weapons against the Kurdish populations in Northern Iraq fighting for their autonomy.
August 1988		Hamas publishes its covenant and rejects the authority of the PLO as the sole representative of the Palestinians.
August 20, 1988		Iran accepts UN cease-fire resolution and it is put into effect, thereby ending the Iran-Iraq war.
December 1988		The PLO recognizes the State of Israel and asks to begin negotiations for lasting peace.
May 1990		Yemen unites as a democratic republic.
August 1990		Iraq invades Kuwait: Saudi Arabian King Fahd invites U.S. troops to Saudi Arabia as a base of operations in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
September 1990		The Taif Accord achieves a balance between Lebanon's Christians and Muslims, ending a civil war that lasted a quarter century.
1991		Gulf War: Allied bombing campaign against Iraq.
1991		Kuwait's oil fields burned during Gulf War.
October 30 -- November 1, 1991		Madrid Peace Conference begins as a result of the PLO's 1988 recognition of the state of Israel.
January 20, 1993		Peace talks between Israel and the PLO begin in Oslo.
May 1993		UN Security Council approves demarcation of Iraq-Kuwait border.
September 1993		Israelis and Palestinians approve of the Oslo Accords, ending the first Palestinian Intifada. Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat shake hands in Washington, DC.
September 1993		Violence by Islamic Jihad and Hamas continues despite peace negotiations.
1994		Osama bin Laden is stripped of his Saudi citizenship and is exiled.
1994		Israeli-Jordan Peace Treaty. Rabin, Peres, and Arafat shake hands on Whitehouse lawn and are jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
November 1994		Iraq recognizes Kuwait as an independent state.
1995		UN Security Council passes Resolution 986 allowing oil for food program in Iraq.
1995		The United Arab Emirates joins the World Trade Organization.
March 1995		Turkey sends troops to fight the Kurdish rebels in Northern Iraq.
September 1995		The Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (OSLO II) signed.
October 1995		Qatar opens economic relations with Israel, becoming the first Arab nation to recognize Israel.
November 4, 1995		Yitzhak Rabin assassinated by Jewish extremists in Tel Aviv.
1996		Benjamin Netanyahu becomes Prime Minister of Israel.
1996-2002		In Afghanistan, the Taliban severely restricts freedoms for women.
February 1996		Iraq accepts UN Security Council Resolution 986.
May 1996		Osama bin Laden arrives in Afghanistan and is welcomed by the Taliban.
December 12, 1996		A coup attempt against Iraqi president Saddam Hussein fails.
1998		Wye River Memorandum signed by Netanyahu and Arafat.
August 1998		US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania are bombed simultaneously in a terrorist attack.
1999		Ehud Barak wins Israeli election.
1999		King Hussein of Jordan dies.
2000		Israel withdraws from Lebanon and returns portions of the West Bank, in accordance with the Wye River Memorandum.
May 2000		Israelis withdraw from Lebanese security zone due to pressure from Hezbollah.
July 2000		A Camp David Summit between Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat ends without an agreement.
2000		Natural Gas discovered along the coast of Israel.
October 2000		Terrorist attack on USS Cole. Al Qaeda organization is suspected to have been involved.
January 2001		Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan enter together on an agreement to begin a $1 billion gas pipeline project in the region.
2001		Ariel Sharon elected Prime Minister of Israel.
September 11, 2001		September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
October 2001		The US invades Afghanistan with support from NATO coalition to topple Taliban regime for their tacit support of Osama bin Laden and the al Qaeda terrorist organization. This is the first military engagement in the "War on Terrorism."
December 2001		Taliban forces are defeated in Afghanistan.
January 29, 2002		President George W. Bush delivers State of the Union Address and describes Iran, Iraq, and North Korea as the "Axis of Evil."
April 2002		Israel launches major attacks against the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank in response to suspected terrorist activity.
June 2002		Hamid Karzai is chosen to head Afghanistan's transitional government.
March 19, 2003		US combat in Iraq begins with attack on Hussein during a meeting with his advisors.
April 2003		The US, Russia, the UN, and the European Union present the "Roadmap to Peace," a performance based guide for achieving peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The proposal aims to reach an end to the conflict by 2005.
April 4, 2003		Baghdad falls to US troops.
May 2003		US President George W. Bush declares the end of military combat in the War in Iraq.
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