Blood and Oil - Middle East in WWI Pt 15: Oil in BakuBackPart 15 - Oil in Baku. By 1918, the oil fields of Baku become the objective for British, Turkish, and even Bolshevik forces. In January, General L.C. Dunsterville leads his troops ("Dunsterforce") from Baghdad to the Caspian Sea and into Baku by August. Meanwhile, the Turks finally drive Armenian rebels from Eastern Anatolia (March-April) while German troops land from the Black Sea and capture the city of Tiflis in the Caucasus (June12th). The Turks win the race to Baku and vigorously attack the British, who evacuate the city on September 14th. Two months later, a British naval flotilla on the Caspian Sea drives the Turks out of Baku. Except for the Dardanelles/Gallipoli campaigns, the extensive combat operations in the Middle East during World War I have been largely overlooked in documentary programs. Given the historical significance of the Ottoman Empire's demise in 1918, and the ongoing importance of Middle Eastern oil reserves to Western economies, a close study of this conflict provides two important lessons: 1. The Treaty of Versailles, agreed to by the Western Powers in 1919, paved the way for military and political chaos in the Middle East, which continues to this very day. 2. Oil reserves in the Middle East became an important strategic concern for Western Powers, helping to justify their economic, diplomatic and military interference in the region. After the end of World War I, most of the Ottoman Empire was carved up into "spheres of influence", controlled mostly by the British and French. The remaining territories became the modern state of Turkey in 1923 -- after a five-year struggle by Turkish nationalists against Western domination. With little regard for cultural, historical, religious and demographic considerations, the West sponsored the creation of several new nations: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Thus, a "tinderbox" was built from Western greed, igniting a multitude of wars, revolts, coups and military occupations that truly have made the defeat of the Ottoman Empire little more than a hollow victory. Available on DVD. Category: Entertainment Uploaded: July 1st, 2008 @ 6:05 pm Author: BloodAndOilMovie Length: 03:48 Rating: Views: Tags: oil fuel energy petroleum gasoline gas middle east great war world one britain ottoman empire british military Related Video Links:» View Video Comments For Blood and Oil - Middle East in WWI Pt 15: Oil in Baku » View BloodAndOilMovie's Other Uploaded Videos Video Thumbnails:Video Embedding Code:* Embed this video on your website, social bookmark, myspace, or blog. |
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