100 years ago today

[kescwi]

I just saw this on the WP. Take a close look at the headlines, think about these places, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Ukraine, and who controlled them 100 years ago today. Then the first item under "World Views" tells you the first step in how we got here.





World


























In the News

VA scandal

Bobby Womack

Mark Mayfield

Tiger Woods

World Cup






















































A fleet of F-16s is not expected in Iraq until the fall. (Reuters)


Makeshift Iraqi air force targets ISIS

Loveday Morris JUN 27
Frustrated with the pace of U.S. aircraft deliveries, Iraq sets its sights on old fighter jets from Syria, Belarus and Russia. Iraqis prepare to fight militants














Taliban stages large attack in southern Afghanistan


Kevin Sieff and Mohammad Sharif 8:10 AM ET

Insurgents attempt to retake a former stronghold, killing dozens.










Cameron's bid to keep Juncker from E.U. post fails


Karla Adam and Anthony Faiola JUN 27

Brussels dealmaker set to be next head of European Union, potentially spurring U.K.'s exit from coalition.










Ukraine signs landmark pact with European Union


Michael Birnbaum JUN 27

Shrugging off the Kremlin and the threat of civil war, Kiev places itself closer to membership in the 28-state coalition.


Ukraine, Moldova move westward









WorldViews




7:00 AMThe assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the drumbeats of war
12:19 PMCould this map of China start a war?
5:24 AMThis is now the deadliest ebola outbreak on record ? and it's getting worse

 

[TheCainer]

I thought that was a good explanation of how various events and dreams of empirical expansion helped lead to WW I. I also came across an article today that I think discusses what was probably the next chapter in determining today's Middle East. This piece deals with the failed leadership from Britain and France after the war which set up the Middle East for decades of turmoil.

Lawrence of Arabia is one of my favorite movies, although a little long maybe, and how T. E. Lawrence recognized what needed to be done with that region of the world and all of its tribal peoples. They did not need subjective and artificial boundaries that were established by the French and the Brits as they carved up the remnants of the Ottoman Empire. With Iraq possibly splitting into 3 different "countries" now, we may finally be seeing the end result of WW I after a century of outside tamperings. The West says they believe in self determination for developing countries, but that only applies if we don't have ulterior motives it would seem.

Link

 

[kescwi]

That was a good article, thanks.

I actually didn't care much for the WaPo piece, which is what sent me to the front page of the World section. July 1914, a book the writer mentions, is a good easy and quick read that deals with each day of the July crisis and I don't think that the WaPo writer has read the book.

Your piece is also interesting. There is some thought that the ME is where Europe starts moving towards an inevitable war. The role of the Baghdad Railway and the threat to ME colonial possessions may have been the final push France and GB need to sigh the Entente Cordiale and again German influence over the decaying Ottoman Empire and fears of its aspirations helped push Russian and GB to the Anglo-Russian Entente regarding Afghanistan. All this eventually lead to the Triple Entente and Germany's perception of encirclement.

From there, IMHO, all it took was an overly confident and deluded France, wishing to regain territories it lost in the Prussian War, and an equally deluded, but weaker, Russia acting as protector of all Slavs and longing to absorb Ottoman holdings and become ruler of the Black Sea, to push Europe over the edge.