The Sykes-Picot Agreement

The Sykes Picot agreement was a secret wartime meeting between delegates of Great Britain and France. Sir Mark Sykes represented the British, and Francois Georges Picot was his French counterpart. During their discussions, they drew the borders that the allies would look to employ after the end of World War I. However, using their little knowledge of the region as a guide, the borders they drew paid little attention to the various ethnic or religious differences amongst the people. Therefore, when the imperial occupations ended, the newly independent countries were soon thrown into civil conflict. As a result, we have the turbulent and unstable state system that exists in the Middle East today. Link to video: http://www.cc.com/video-clips/kovgs5/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-sir-archibald-mapsalot-iii