The De Bunsen Committee was the first committee established by the British government to determine its policy toward the Ottoman Empire during and following World War I. The committee was established on 8 April 1915 by British Prime MinisterH. H. Asquith, and was headed by Maurice de Bunsen. The committee submitted its report on 30 June 1915.[1]
The committee was established in response to a French initiative, to consider the nature of British objectives in Turkey and Asia in the event of a successful conclusion of the war. The committee's report provided the guidelines for negotiations with France, Italy, and Russia regarding the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire.[2]
The impact of Mark Sykes,[4] who later negotiated the Sykes-Picot Agreement, on the committee was said to be "profound".[3] He did not sign the final report having been dispatched on instructions of the War Office at the beginning of June to discuss the Committee's findings with the British authorities in the Near and Middle East and at the same time to study the situation on the spot. He went to Athens, Gallipoli, Sofia, Cairo, Aden, Cairo a second time and then to India coming back to Basra in September and a third time to Cairo in November (where he was appraised of the McMahon–Hussein Correspondence) before returning home on 8 December and finally delivering his report to the War Committee on 16 December.
Report
The De Bunsen committee considered four possible solutions: (1) partition, leaving only a small Ottoman state in Anatolia; (2) preservation subject to Great Power control zones of political and commercial influence; (3) preservation as an independent state in Asia; (4) creation of a decentralised, federal Ottoman state in Asia.
The Committee's report, titled "Committee of Imperial Defence: Asiatic Turkey, Report of a Committee" was issued on 30 June 1915,[5] and recommended the last option as the best solution for meeting the British Empire's defence needs.[6]
Concerning Palestine it reported that it would be “...idle for His Majesty’s Government to claim the retention of Palestine in their sphere. Palestine must be recognized as a country whose destiny must be the subject of special negotiations, in which both belligerents and neutrals are alike interested”. In case of the partition or zones of influence options then the Committee defined a British sphere of influence that included Palestine while accepting that there were relevant French and Russian, as well as Islamic interests in Jerusalem and the Holy Places.[7][8]
^Britain's War Aims in the Middle East in 1915, Aaron S. Klieman
^The Middle East and North Africa in World Politics: A Documentary Record, by J. C. Hurewitz, 1979, Yale University Press; 2 edition, ISBN0-300-02203-4, page 26
^ abIn the Anglo-Arab Labyrinth: The McMahon-Husayn Correspondence and Its Interpretations 1914-1939, Elie Kedourie
^Kedouri, Elie (1970). "Sir Mark Sykes and Palestine 1915-16". Middle Eastern Studies. 6 (3): 340–345. doi:10.1080/00263207008700157. JSTOR 4282341.
^. Archived from the original on 2011-10-08. Retrieved 2009-08-24.
^Rose, N.A. (2013). The Gentile Zionists: A Study in Anglo-Zionist Diplomacy 1929-1939. Routledge. p. 264. ISBN9781135158651.
^Hurewitz, J.C. (June 1979). The Middle East and North Africa in World Politics:A Documentary Record. British-French supremacy, 1914-1945 Vol.2. Yale University Press. ISBN9780300022032.
January 07, 2023
bunsen, committee, first, committee, established, british, government, determine, policy, toward, ottoman, empire, during, following, world, committee, established, april, 1915, british, prime, minister, asquith, headed, maurice, bunsen, committee, submitted, . The De Bunsen Committee was the first committee established by the British government to determine its policy toward the Ottoman Empire during and following World War I The committee was established on 8 April 1915 by British Prime Minister H H Asquith and was headed by Maurice de Bunsen The committee submitted its report on 30 June 1915 1 The committee was established in response to a French initiative to consider the nature of British objectives in Turkey and Asia in the event of a successful conclusion of the war The committee s report provided the guidelines for negotiations with France Italy and Russia regarding the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire 2 Contents 1 Members 2 Report 3 See also 4 ReferencesMembers EditThe members of the committee were was follows 3 Sir Maurice de Bunsen 1st Baronet Chairman Georges R Clerk representing the Foreign Office Thomas Holderness representing the India Office Henry Jackson representing the Admiralty Charles E Callwell representing the War Office Hubert Llewellyn Smith representing the Board of Trade Mark Sykes representing Lord Kitchener the Secretary of State for WarThe impact of Mark Sykes 4 who later negotiated the Sykes Picot Agreement on the committee was said to be profound 3 He did not sign the final report having been dispatched on instructions of the War Office at the beginning of June to discuss the Committee s findings with the British authorities in the Near and Middle East and at the same time to study the situation on the spot He went to Athens Gallipoli Sofia Cairo Aden Cairo a second time and then to India coming back to Basra in September and a third time to Cairo in November where he was appraised of the McMahon Hussein Correspondence before returning home on 8 December and finally delivering his report to the War Committee on 16 December Report EditThe De Bunsen committee considered four possible solutions 1 partition leaving only a small Ottoman state in Anatolia 2 preservation subject to Great Power control zones of political and commercial influence 3 preservation as an independent state in Asia 4 creation of a decentralised federal Ottoman state in Asia The Committee s report titled Committee of Imperial Defence Asiatic Turkey Report of a Committee was issued on 30 June 1915 5 and recommended the last option as the best solution for meeting the British Empire s defence needs 6 Concerning Palestine it reported that it would be idle for His Majesty s Government to claim the retention of Palestine in their sphere Palestine must be recognized as a country whose destiny must be the subject of special negotiations in which both belligerents and neutrals are alike interested In case of the partition or zones of influence options then the Committee defined a British sphere of influence that included Palestine while accepting that there were relevant French and Russian as well as Islamic interests in Jerusalem and the Holy Places 7 8 See also EditPortals British Empire World War I British Mandate for Palestine British Mandate of Jordan British Mandate of IraqReferences Edit Britain s War Aims in the Middle East in 1915 Aaron S Klieman The Middle East and North Africa in World Politics A Documentary Record by J C Hurewitz 1979 Yale University Press 2 edition ISBN 0 300 02203 4 page 26 a b In the Anglo Arab Labyrinth The McMahon Husayn Correspondence and Its Interpretations 1914 1939 Elie Kedourie Kedouri Elie 1970 Sir Mark Sykes and Palestine 1915 16 Middle Eastern Studies 6 3 340 345 doi 10 1080 00263207008700157 JSTOR 4282341 National Archives CAB 42 3 12 The Sykes Picot agreement and the roots of imperialist domination of the Middle East Archived from the original on 2011 10 08 Retrieved 2009 08 24 Rose N A 2013 The Gentile Zionists A Study in Anglo Zionist Diplomacy 1929 1939 Routledge p 264 ISBN 9781135158651 Hurewitz J C June 1979 The Middle East and North Africa in World Politics A Documentary Record British French supremacy 1914 1945 Vol 2 Yale University Press ISBN 9780300022032 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title De Bunsen Committee amp oldid 1073223609, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
