The Clemenceau–Lloyd George Agreement of 1 December 1918 was a verbal agreement that modified the 1916 Sykes–Picot Agreement in respect to

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

and the Mosul vilayet. The latter component is also known as the Mosul cession. The agreement was between British and French Prime Ministers

David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leadi ...

and Georges Clemenceau and took place at the French Embassy in London. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

signed the secret Sykes–Picot Agreement in 1916, which effectively partitioned the Ottoman Empire into areas of British and French control and spheres of influence. Part of the Mosul vilayet, namely the city of

Mosul Mosul ( ; , , ; ; ; ) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. It is the second largest city in Iraq overall after the capital Baghdad. Situated on the banks of Tigris, the city encloses the ruins of the ...

and the area south to the

Little Zab The Little Zab or Lower Zab (, ''al-Zāb al-Asfal''; or '; , ''Zâb-e Kuchak''; , ''Zāba Taḥtāya'') is a river that originates in Iran and joins the Tigris just south of Al Zab in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The Little Zab is approximatel ...

, was allocated to France by the agreement, and this accord was formally ratified in May 1916. Despite this agreement, Clemenceau would abandon France's claims on Mosul, northern Mesopotamia, and Palestine, transferring control to Britain after a private discussion on 1 December 1918. In return, France would gain rights to a large share of all oil to be discovered in now-British Mosul—known to have substantial deposits—though the exact percentages would remain unclear until the Long-Berenger Oil Agreement of 8 April 1919. More importantly, Clemenceau also hoped that the agreement would allow France further leverage to pursue its peace treaty goals in the

Rhineland The Rhineland ( ; ; ; ) is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly Middle Rhine, its middle section. It is the main industrial heartland of Germany because of its many factories, and it has historic ties to the Holy ...

and allow a stronger French claim to

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

and

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

as set out in the Sykes-Picot agreement, against the Britain-aligned Arab Kingdom. The agreement was finalised in a meeting at

Deauville Deauville () is a communes of France, commune in the Calvados (department), Calvados department, Normandy (administrative region), Normandy, northwestern France. Major attractions include its port, harbour, Race track, race course, marinas, con ...

in 1919. The agreement was controversial because France did not appear to have gained any substantial changes from Britain in return for the concessions of Mosul and Palestine. John J McTague Jr wrote, "Despite the informality of this agreement, Lloyd George and Clemenceau held to it and it became the basis for legitimizing the British claim to Palestine".

Bibliography

*Fitzgerald, Edward Peter. "France's Middle Eastern Ambitions, the Sykes–Picot Negotiations, and the Oil Fields of Mosul." The Journal of Modern History 66.4 (1994): 697–725. * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1918 Clemenceau-Lloyd George Agreement (Middle East) 1918 in France 1918 in Ottoman Syria 1918 in the United Kingdom Mandatory Palestine Boundary treaties France in World War I France–United Kingdom treaties Imperialism Ottoman Empire in World War I Clemenceau–Lloyd George Agreement Sykes–Picot Agreement Treaties concluded in 1918 Treaties involving territorial changes Treaties of the French Third Republic Treaties of the United Kingdom (1801–1922) United Kingdom in World War I World War I treaties David Lloyd George Ottoman history of Mosul Georges Clemenceau 20th century in Mosul

See also

Bibliography

References