Question

Explain how World War I led to the creation of mandates in Southwest Asia and why those mandates caused conflict.


A complete answer must:

be 3–4 complete sentences and use only information from the passage below
identify what empire collapsed at the end of World War I
identify who gained control of Southwest Asia and the system they put into place
explain what a mandate system is and why it caused conflict


Post–World War I: Mandates in Southwest Asia

During World War I (1914–1918), the Allied Powers (the winners) fought against the Central Powers (the losers, which included the Ottoman Empire).

Before the war, during the 1700s and 1800s, European empires did not colonize Southwest Asia. Instead, the Ottoman Empire controlled the region and had done so since the 1300s.

After joining the losing side of World War I, the Ottoman Empire collapsed in 1918. After its defeat, Britain and France took control of much of Southwest Asia by dividing the land into regions under their control, creating mandates. A mandate was a territory (piece of land) controlled by an Allied power after World War I.

The mandate system caused problems because the borders did not consider the religious and ethnic differences of the people who lived there. Some groups that had different beliefs or ways of life were forced to live together, which led to disagreements and tension. Other groups, such as the Kurdish people, were split apart and placed in different mandates, making it harder for them to stay united.


Adapted from ©2019 Pearson Online & Blended Learning K–12 USA



You may use the sentence starters below to help you, or you may write your own original 3-4 sentences.

After World War I, the _______________ collapsed. _________ and _________ took control.

They divided the land into ______________, which are______________________. This caused conflict because ____________________.


(4 points)

Short Answer Rubric (4 points)

Answer 1

After World War I, the Ottoman Empire collapsed, and Britain and France took control of much of Southwest Asia. They divided the land into mandates, which were territories controlled by an Allied power after World War I. The mandate system caused conflict because the borders did not consider religious and ethnic differences, forcing groups with different beliefs to live together and splitting groups like the Kurdish people into different mandates, which led to disagreements and tension.