French-British influence and its ramifications: unraveling the origins of conflict in the Middle East

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the influence of French-British imperial interventions on the geopolitical configuration of the Middle East and the origins of its contemporary conflicts. Based on a theoretical framework that articulates geopolitics and post-colonial studies, this study employs a historical analysis methodology, grounded in a bibliographic review, to investigate pivotal events such as the Sykes-Picot Agreement, which delineated arbitrary borders, and the Balfour Declaration, which promised a "national home for the Jewish people." As its main results, the analysis demonstrates that these interventions not only divided communities while disregarding their cultural identities, but also left a legacy of instability, ethnic conflicts, and regional rivalries. The occupations in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, for example, are identified as factors that contributed to the formation of challenging political dynamics. It is concluded that the legacy of these historical actions directly resonates with the region's current challenges and that an in-depth knowledge of these roots is fundamental to informing effective conflict resolution strategies, promoting a more collaborative vision for a future of coexistence and peace