Introduction
The major turning points in the history of the Middle East can be divided into three main time periods. During the 1980s and 1990s, the history of the Middle East was shaped by three main events namely the Gulf War, the Palestinian rebellion, and the meltdown of the U.S.S R (Turning Points 114).
The second time period occurred during the first half of the new millennium. The events that had great significance on the history of Middle East included the September 11 attack, a second Gulf War, and a Palestinian rebellion (Turning Points 114).
The third time period covers the years that followed the second half of the new millennium. Events that occurred during that period include America’s plan to depart from Iraq, the Arab spring, and squabbles between Israel and terror groups in the region. These events had significant implications on the economic, social, and political stability of the Middle East. Their effects market critical turning points in the modern history of Middle East.
1980s and 1990s
The collapse of the U.S.S.R was a critical turning point in the history of the Middle East because it heralded a new system of political and economic ideology, alignment, and population. The position of the Soviet Union as a superpower was beneficial to countries such as Iraq, Syria, and South Yemen because of the military and financial assistance the received (Turning Points 115).
However, its collapse meant that the support was withdrawn and the beneficiaries had to find other benefactors. The event would instigate the emigration of Jews from the region into Israel and a subsequent increase in its population that presented numerous social, economic, and financial challenges.
Muslim countries were compelled to create new alliances with Western nations. The invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in 1990 initiated the involvement of the United States in the Gulf War. The U.S. joined forces with other nations to help liberate Kuwait from the tight grip of Iraq (Turning Points 115).
As a result, the military and economic infrastructure of Iraqi were adversely affected. Jordan struggled with helping Palestinian refugees who had been expelled from Kuwait for siding with Saddam Hussein. The financial aid that was coming from Western and Gulf countries was lost and Jordan had to forge new alliances. Egyptians were expelled from Iraq, Yemeni workers were expelled from Saudi Arabia, and Syria gained more control over Lebanon (Turning Points 114).
These events created enemies and allies depending on the side that each country was supporting between warring nations. For instance, enmity between the United States and Iraq dates back to this period after the U.S. helped Kuwait defeat Iraq in the war. The Iraq-Kuwait war introduced enmity in the Arab world because it was the first time two Arab nations turned against each other. The war also led to creation of alliances between Arab and Western countries.
For instance, the United States, United Kingdom, and France joined the war and since then, they have been involved in the politics of the Middle East. They use their economic superiority to push their agenda and influence economic policies. The collapse of the U.S.S.R. created a power vacuum in the Middle East that heralded the geopolitical and ideological contentions that took place in the 1990s.
The rivalries aimed to fill the power vacuum and create a new model that would regulate the political and economic endeavors of the region. They set a stage for the involvement of regional and international players such as the United States, France, Russia, and Britain.
Early 2000s
The September 11, 2001 attack is one of the events that defined the modern history of the Middle East. 19 militants allied to the terrorist group Al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and launched attack against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (Turning Points 116). The attacks caused massive destruction and demise of more than 3,000 people.
The attacks prompted the U.S. to develop stringent initiatives against terrorism. Reasons for the attack included America’s participation in the Persian Gulf War, presence of its military personnel in the Middle East, and its support of certain regimes (Turning Points 116).
As a result of the attack, the U.S. waged war on Iraq as a way of crippling Al-Qaeda and as a result the regime of Saddam Hussein was brought down. During the same period, another war broke in the region after Palestinian militants attacked Israeli citizens. In retaliation, Israeli military fought back and occupied all regions that were under the control of Palestine in the West Bank.
The economic infrastructure of Palestine was destroyed and many civilians were killed. Continued attacks from Palestine compelled Israel to fight back. The political calamities that ensued form the war led to political dispensations in both countries in 2003 (Turning Points 116)This war was a turning point because the peace that both countries had enjoyed for many years was gone and they went back to attacking each other.
Iraqis noncompliance with United Nations’ resolutions led to an attack by the United States, Britain, and other nations. On the other hand, Iran was slapped with economic sanctions for failing to cooperate with international inspectors of nuclear weapons (Turning Points 117).
The September 11 attacks, war against Iraq, and political crises in Afghanistan caused enmity between the United States and Gulf states because of the need to fill the power vacuum and address the United States’ initiative to fight radical Islam and terrorist groups in the region.
Many states were angered by the continued presence of U.S. military personnel in the Middle East. The Arab spring heralded a new era of ideological and political dispensation in the Middle East. It brought about geopolitical changes that showed that the ideologies of Arab countries as well as political balance are directly related to the power wielded by individual states.
Globalization, terrorism, nationalism, Arab spring, Kuwait crisis, and the peace process
Globalization is also another factor that has had great influence in the history of the Middle East. This phenomenon originated from the western countries and most people in this region consider it more of a threat to their culture and value system than an opportunity to broaden their customs and attitudes towards various aspects in life (Turning Points 117).
The Middle East constitutes a lot of conservative cultures that have over the years struggled to deal with the impact of globalization. At the time when the western ideologies were being introduced in the Middle East, the region was very unstable.
This led to the region losing its control over various things, thus resulting in an intense struggle to fight globalization. Research has established that the effect of globalization in the Middle East is responsible for poor democratization of various societies, as well as the growth of the ideologies behind Islamic fundamentalism and extremist groups (Turning Points 115).
For example, the continued pressure from the U.S. in their bid to fight terrorism, as well as promote democracy and economic liberalization has created a lot of unrest across the Middle East.
This is the kind of pressure that led to the emergence of the Arab spring in 2011, a phenomenon that sought to stimulate changes in the style of governance used across various Arabic countries. This is one of the recent developments that have left a huge mark on the history of the region because the protests resulted in change of a number of regimes that had blocked numerous efforts to embrace democracy.
Currently, the Middle East is experiencing steady growth towards full democracy characterized by free and fair electoral processes, as well as promotion of human rights (Turning Points 117). One of the notable developments following the Arab spring is an initiative called rethinking political Islam that focuses on changing the global perception about Islamist movements through public debates.
Reports indicate that the Kuwait crisis is also a prominent phenomenon that has shaped the history of the Middle East. The crisis also involved Iraq and the United Arab Emirates who were tangled in a debt cancellation battle over oil exports. This crisis played a major role in the destabilization of the Middle East because countries involved started losing trust in each other.
Over the period of seven months in which the crisis lasted, a lot of economic and political ties were destroyed, thus resulting in numerous challenges that altered the development efforts that were already in place across the region. Analysts argue that the greatest impacts of the crisis were felt with regard to the slow development of nationalism, as well as disregard for the peace process and the possible effects that the people would suffer due to the looming threat of terrorism (Turning Points 117).
Most people in the Middle East have a strong love for their countries and have the willingness to sacrifice for it. However, this doctrine that one’s national culture and interests are superior to any other has contributed to the prolonged conflicts that have been a characteristic feature in the history of the Middle East.
Over the years, the Middle East has been dogged by great rivalries between its members due to accusations and counteraccusation with regard to the establishment of a reliable peace process. This challenge has been necessitated by the global challenge of terrorism, which has seen countries such as the U.S. targeting countries in the Middle East because they believe they harbor the most dangerous terror groups (Turning Points 114).
Obama’s election
The election of Obama was a defining moment because he promised to remove his military personnel from Iraq (Turning Points 117). The process began with military withdrawal from urban areas with promises of complete departure thereafter. In addition, Obama’s administration promised to resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Obama’s promises meant that Iraqi authorities had to resolve certain economic and political issues that had existed for a long time. An election was conducted in 2010 and led to the creation of a coalition government (Turning Points 117). A new U.S. military policy also initiated elections in Iran in 2009.
The elections were characterized by massive protests and clashes because of fraud claims. The situation was worsened by international pressure and criticisms against their nuclear weapons program. Iran’s failure to collaborate with inspectors led to U.N. sanctions that had severe economic and social implications.
At the same time, clashes between Israel and Palestine were ongoing. Israel attacked Gaza and destroyed much of its infrastructure and blocked the transport of goods into the country (Turning Points 117). These events caused a humanitarian crisis that led to international criticisms against Israel. Israel loosened its stand after several instances of international protests from various countries.
However, they carried on the blockade of construction materials because they did not want the reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure (Turning Points 117).
Currently, there is great rivalry between regional actors and international acts. There is Iran, Turkey, Israel, and Audi Arabia on one side and the U.S., China, Russia, and the U.K. on the other. These rivalries are aimed at defining the geopolitical and ideological systems of the Middle East. A good example of the effect of these rivalries is the severity of the Syrian crisis and the involvement of both regional and international actors.
Conclusion
The modern history of the Middle East has been shaped by several events that have taken place over the years. The Gulf War, the Palestinian rebellion, the collapse of the U.S.S.R, the Iraq invasion of Kuwait, the September 11 attacks, the Arab spring, and the Israeli attack on Palestine. These events are turning points that are responsible for the geopolitical and ideological state of the Middle East.
Formation of alliances between countries, shifts in power balance, political transitions, and regional rivalries are examples of the aftermath effects of the aforementioned events. These events have shaped the political and ideological systems of the Middle East in a significant way. For instance, the current Syrian crisis is an example of the effects of rivalry between international and regional actors.