Jordan: Redrawing the Middle East

How did WW1 change America's place in the world? Jonathan Dimbleby presents a public debate from the US Library of Congress in Washington 

How did technological and industrial development revolutionise World War One? The tank, gas, flame throwers, Zeppelins were like nothing that had been experienced before. 

A century ago a shot rang out in Sarajevo which set the world on a path to war. How did the peace made after WW1 influence the ethnic conflicts in the region during the 1990s? 

At the end of World War I, colonial powers carved up the Ottoman Empire and the reverberations are still being felt today. Historian Ted Widmer discusses the circumstances that led to this fateful episode and why Woodrow Wilson wasn't able to extend his principle of "self-determi ... Show More

How much blame for the current troubles in the Middle East lies with the decisions made by the West in 1919 – when the Ottoman Empire was carved up arbitrarily into the modern states we know today? Is it true that Arab society has tended to define itself less by what it aspires t ... Show More

Often understood through Peter O’Toole’s iconic display, who really was Lawrence of Arabia? His role in the First World War and the Arab Revolt had a defining effect on the Middle-East. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Anthony Sattin to discuss his life. LRB Empire offe ... Show More

3 characters. 2 nations. 1 disastrous deal. The Sykes-Picot agreement is often blamed as the cause for much of the unrest in the Middle-East today, but what was it exactly? Listen as William and Anita are joined by James Barr to discuss this historic agreement to carve up the Mid ... Show More

The half century between 1870 and 1920 was one of conflict between British colonialism and the people of the Middle East and North Africa. In this episode, James is joined by archeologist and author Neil Faulkner to examine the clashes of armies, ideologies and forms of oppressio ... Show More

The First World War would cast a shadow over the next two decades, altering the course of nations. In this episode we discuss, in the briefest way I know how, the History of the Great War. Website Patreon Twitter Facebook Discord Email: historyofthesecondworldwar@outlook.com Lear ... Show More

From Houthi ship attacks to the spectre of Iranian aggression, the Middle East seems set to become the next front for violent conflict. Could the turbulent history of the region tell us something about what its future holds? Join These Times’ Tom McTague and Helen Thompson for th ... Show More

Historian Heather Jones tackles the familiar image of a war centred on a static front line in northern Europe, and looks at how World War One affected populations beyond the front line.