In this episode of we dive into the final years of Ottoman rule in the Arab provinces and the complex road to independence. The Ottoman Empire once controlled large territories across the Middle East, but by the late 19th and early 20th centuries, internal struggles, European intervention, and rising Arab nationalism began to unravel its hold.

Joining me is Professor Eugene Rogan, Director of the Middle East Centre at Oxford and a leading historian on the modern Middle East. Together, we explore how the Ottoman Arab provinces navigated the empire’s decline, the different paths taken by regions like Egypt, Syria, and Iraq, and how Ottoman reforms—like the Tanzimat—attempted to modernize the empire but ultimately failed to hold it together.

We also discuss the rise of Arab identity within the Ottoman framework, the role of key figures like Jamal Pasha, and the impact of World War I in redrawing the map of the Middle East.

What forces led to the breakup of Ottoman rule in the Arab world? And how did these events shape the borders and conflicts of the modern Middle East? Join us as we uncover the story of the Arab provinces and their road to independence.

Professor Eugene Rogan: https://www.ames.ox.ac.uk/people/eugene-l-rogan
The Arabs: A History: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4100352-the-arabs
The Fall of the Ottomans: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21535310-the-fall-of-the-ottomans

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