The Mandate for Mesopotamia: The History and Legacy of British Occupation and Iraq’s Independence after World War I by Charles River Editors

Author:Charles River Editors
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Charles River Editors
Published: 2021-03-11T16:00:00+00:00

Wilson

Cox

Though he was prescient, Wilson was a committed British imperialist, with his sympathies residing not with the population of the colony but with the interests of the British Empire. He was attached to the British administration of India, and he certainly appeared to better understand the dynamics at play than those attempting from the dim recesses of the Foreign Office to devise a workable policy for the region. To try and reassure the people of the colony that he had their best interests at heart, he held a plebiscite that put the question to prominent Iraqi nobles what pattern of government and constitution they preferred. The broad consensus that this inquiry returned appeared to indicate support for a state comprising the three provinces under Arab rule, although without revealing any clarity over what form the government should take or who should lead it. Generally, however, there appeared to be satisfaction with the administration of Arabic-speaking British political officers. It seems, though, that Wilson did not consult with Kurdish leaders, who would have certainly rejected rule by Arabs. Bearing in mind his clear sense of the situation, this was probably the clearest indication to date that the Kurds were not to be given an independent voice.

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