38. Sykes-Picot: Carving up the Middle-East

This episode of the "Empire" podcast explores the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916, a confidential arrangement between Britain and France that reshaped the Middle East after World War I. The conversation begins by setting the stage for the agreement, then shifts focus to the key figures, Sykes and Picot, before examining the significant repercussions that have persisted to this day. Notably, Sykes's proposal to draw an arbitrary line on a map from Acre to Kirkuk illustrates the capriciousness of their decisions. The episode wraps up by highlighting the enduring effects of this agreement on the region's politics, showcasing how the choices of a few can ripple out and create lasting global consequences.