Lesson 5: Conflict in the Middle East (The Postwar World)
🗳️ Political Changes in the Middle East
After World War II, many countries in the Middle East started changing. Some wanted modern ideas, and others wanted to return to old traditions.
Turkey
Turkey became a republic in the 1920s. After the war, it worked to be more modern and friendly with the West. Women could vote and go to school. 🧕➡️🎓
Egypt
In 1952, the king of Egypt was removed. A man named Gamal Abdel Nasser became leader. He took control of the Suez Canal, and people loved him. He wanted Egypt to be strong and free. 🚢💪
Iran
Iran had a king, called the Shah, who was close to the West. But in 1979, there was a big change: a religious leader named Ayatollah Khomeini took over. Iran became an Islamic republic. 🕌
Story Time: After the revolution, many women had to wear hijabs again. One girl said, “Yesterday I wore jeans. Today I must wear a scarf.”
Palestine and Israel
In 1948, the world created a new country: Israel, a home for Jewish people after the Holocaust. But this land was already home to Palestinian Arabs, and war began right away. 🕊️✡️🕌
🔥 Disagreement and War in the Middle East
The Middle East had many wars and fights after World War II. Some were about land, some about religion, and some about power.
Conflict in Israel
In 1948, Israel became a country. The next day, five Arab countries attacked: Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon. This started the First Arab-Israeli War.
Israel won the war and took even more land than planned. But over 700,000 Palestinians had to leave their homes. Many became refugees and still live in camps today. 🏚️
Civil War in Lebanon
From 1975 to 1990, Lebanon had a terrible civil war between different religious groups. The capital city, Beirut, was badly damaged. 🏚️
The Iranian Revolution
As mentioned earlier, the Shah was removed. Many people cheered—but others lost freedom. Young people had to follow strict rules. 🇮🇷
Iraqi Aggression
Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, attacked Iran in the 1980s. It was a long and bloody war.
Then in 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. The world said “No!” and started the Gulf War to push Iraq back. 💣
Fun Fact: The Gulf War was shown on TV around the world—people saw missiles in real-time! 📺
Afghanistan and the War on Terror
In the 1980s, Afghanistan fought against the Soviet Union. Later, a group called the Taliban took over. They were very strict.
In 2001, after the 9/11 attacks in the U.S., America went to war in Afghanistan to find Osama bin Laden and stop terrorism. 🛫⚔️
🧬 Ethnic Conflict
The Middle East has many ethnic groups: Arabs, Kurds, Jews, Persians, and more. Sometimes they live peacefully—but other times, they fight over land and rights.
Story Time: The Kurds, who live in parts of Iraq, Iran, and Turkey, have long wanted their own country. One Kurdish child said, “I don’t see my country on the map—but I know it lives in my heart.”
🛢️ Oil in the Middle East
The Middle East has lots of oil. In the 1970s, a group called OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) made a big decision: they stopped selling oil to some countries. This made oil prices go way up! 💰🚗
Fun Fact: In 1973, people in the U.S. had to wait in long lines for gas. Some even slept in their cars! ⛽😴
Oil made some countries, like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, very rich. They built huge cities, like Dubai, in the desert! 🏙️🐪
The Middle East is full of history, culture, and beauty, but it has also had many problems. People there still hope for peace. ☮️🌅