10.6.4 The Sykes-Picot Agreement

This excerpt is from a document negotiated by the British diplomat Mark Sykes and the French diplomat François Georges-Picot to define British and French spheres of influence in Southwest Asia (or the Middle East) after the war ended. The agreement was secret. Map 2 in Student Handout 10.6B shows the areas mentioned in the excerpt. What did the British plan to construct in its territory? What products would Britain transport? Did this agreement conflict with the promises McMahon made to Husayn? If so, how? Vocabulary: suzerainty: rule enterprise: business; the agreement is saying that the imperialists will have those areas as spheres of influence functionaries: officials confederation: group of states Shereef [sharif] of Mecca: Husayn  

The Sykes-Picot Agreement outlined the secret accord of Britain and France over spheres of influence in the postwar period. Students should recognize that the British and French did not necessarily want to govern their areas directly, but rather through Arab leaders each selected. The French had economic interests in the northeastern Mediterranean coast area and wanted to extend those after the war. The British had economic interests in the southeastern Mediterranean coast, at least in the ports of Haifa and Acre, and in Mesopotamia. The big conflict with McMahon’s promises to Husayn was that the area later called Palestine was to be placed under international administration, and so it would not be part of an Arab kingdom as McMahon had promised. The British were already thinking about giving that area to the Zionists. Sykes may not have been fully aware of that correspondence, but many scholars believe the British did this intentionally.  

It is accordingly understood between the French and British governments:
That France and Great Britain are prepared to recognize and protect an independent Arab state or a confederation of Arab states (a) and (b) marked on the annexed map, under the suzerainty of an Arab chief.
That in area (a) France, and in area (b) Great Britain, shall have priority of right of enterprise and local loans. That in area (a) France, and in area (b) Great Britain, shall alone supply advisers or foreign functionaries at the request of the Arab state or confederation of Arab states.
That in the blue area France, and in the red area Great Britain, shall be allowed to establish such direct or indirect administration or control as they desire and as they may think fit to arrange with the Arab state or confederation of Arab states.
That in the [lined] area there shall be established an international administration, the form of which is to be decided upon after consultation with Russia, and subsequently in consultation with the other allies, and the representatives of the sheriff of Mecca.
That Great Britain has the right to build, administer, and be sole owner of a railway connecting Haifa with area (b), and shall have a perpetual right to transport troops along such a line at all times. It is to be understood by both governments that this railway is to facilitate the connection of Baghdad with Haifa by rail...