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Research Paper | Peace and Conflict Studies | Iraq | Volume 5 Issue 1, January 2016

Early Iraqi Arab Nationalism against the Turkish Nationalism and the Westernization (1905-1918)

Rekurd S. Maghdid

Abstract: In the Nineteenth century, nationalism spread the Arab countries. This paper is going to argue the existence of Arab nationalism, focusing on Iraq. It is going to discuss the reasons why Arabs in Iraq, including the deputies of Baghdad, Basra and Mosul, supported the Ottoman Sultan and to some extent they opposed the Turkish members of CUP. Moreover, this work concentrates on the policies of the late Ottoman government toward the Arabs. Many researchers argue that the Iraqi Arab Nationalists were pro-Ottomans or at least the Iraqi Arabs were welcomed the Young Turks reforms. Some other researchers took some tribal leaders (Sheikh) s as examples of friendship of Arabs with Young Turks or Arabs with British administration. Nonetheless, one of the most important thing that l would like to point out in my argument is the Iraqi opposition towards the European occupation and existence in the region. The alliance that the British Army made with the coming Iraqi King, Feisal bin Sharif bin Ali, cannot be regarded as a part of the Arab nationalism in Iraq, since Feisal was not Iraqi and posed by force to the Iraqis. The paper discusses how Iraqi Arab Nationalists opposed the Western companies during the Ottomans in 1909 and 1913. The Arab Nationalists have also revolted against the British occupation in Iraq in 1915. Therefore, this research is to the fact that Arab nationalism is a kind of Sultanism, anti-Europeanism, Islamism and anti-Young Turks. To prove these historical misunderstand, many old and new (Arabic, Turkish and English) resources were used.

Keywords: Arab nationalism, Iraq, Ottomans, Britain, Young Turks, King Faisal, CUP, Islamism, Europeanism, Westernization

Edition: Volume 5 Issue 1, January 2016,

Pages: 2027 - 2034