Customer Reviews

Blood and Oil - The Middle East in World War I

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If you want to understand what the United States is up against in the Middle East, watch "Blood and Oil." The primary reason U.S. foreign policy since 9/11 has been wholly ineffective is the administration's ignorance of history and other cultures. The "war on terror" has repeatedly been likened to World War Two and the Cold War -- analogies that don't hold up. However, the real antecedents lie in World War One. In the West's last gasp of colonialism, Britain and France apportioned this region between themselves, creating the artifice we now call the Middle East. Since that time, Arabs (and Persians) have chaffed under this unwanted arrangement. Much of the volatility in that region today has grown directly out of the accords made during and immediately after World War One.

Marty Callaghan is among the first to provide a much overdue perspective of the real historical forces we're dealing with today. "Blood and Oil" is a good primer on the interactions of the Western powers with the Arabs and Ottoman Turks during the war and the long-term ramifications of these actions. Until American policy makers understand these historical dynamics, we will be doomed to continued inept foreign policy -- like going on a roadtrip and using the wrong map.

Other resources I would recommend:

- PBS's "The Road to 9/11": provides an overview of the political forces that have shaped the Middle East during the 20th century

- PBS's "Lawrence of Arabia: The Battle for the Arab World": recounts T.E. Lawrence's work as Britain's pointman in cultivating Arab help in World War I in exchange for promises of Arab independence

- Jonathan Lewis' "The First World War -- The Complete Series": superbly made documentary series on all facets of WWI, including one episode on "Jihad"

- World War I: The "Great War": a college-level course taught by Prof Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, available on DVD through The Teaching Company

"Blood and Oil" is an eye-opener and, as such, a documentary which should be viewed by every American (and I would even say by every Westerner) and, more crucially, by everyone in our political system who is involved - directly or indirectly - in making decisions regarding Iraq and our mostly unenlightened policy in the Middle-East.

In this riveting and carefully researched video, Marty Callaghan shows us how, in the aftermath of World War I (which most Westerners think ended in 1918 - when strife persisted for several more years in the Middle-East) agreements were made, mostly between between France and Britain, which resulted in the carving of the old Ottoman Empire into artificial nations - Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, and Syria - which have remained hotbeds of political and military mayhem ever since. Oil was the black gold that motivated, and still motivates the West to constantly interfere in the Middle East, without taking into account its widely diverse population, without seeking to understand the complexity of its many cultures and ethnic composition. It is so much easier to lump all of its people as "Moslems" or "Arabs" - terms which, nowadays, are often, and very sadly, equated in the minds of many Westerners with a propensity for terrorism.

You do not need to have any background in history to enjoy and fully understand this documentary, which conveys complex events and intricate political dealings with great clarity and in a very compelling fashion. Some of the historical footage Callaghan dug up is very cool, as is the original soundtrack by Michael Goodis.

"Blood and Oil" reveals the energy politics that guided the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East and Caucasus. The film, perhaps controversially, uncovers how Russia, Great Britain and France exploited ethnic and religious differences to fuel revolts against the Ottoman Empire, so that the West could dominate certain petroleum-rich areas, from Baku in Azerbaijan to Mosul and Kirkuk in Iraq. One track followed very closely in the film is that of the Russians (from the east) and French (from the south) instigating the Armenian Revolt, 1885-1920, that killed hundreds of thousands of Muslims, mostly Kurds, in eastern Anatolia and the Caucasus, the Ottoman response to which brought terrible suffering upon the Armenians. The film also delves into the British-engineered Arab revolts from the Sinai, to Palestine, to Baghdad. "Blood and Oil" draws acute parallels between the British invasion of the Middle East in WWI and the present US occupation of Iraq, both of which seemed designed to redraw the region's borders under the guise of self-determination and human rights, but of course in line with energy objectives of the West. The ethnic and religious feuds of one hundred years ago still haunt the region today, raising the question whether the War to End All Wars actually created a peace to end all peace, as David Fromkin argues in the documentary.

I'm always suspicious of a DVD documentary which, upon purchase, causes Amazon to start recommending to me crap like 9/11 conspiracies, oil companies controlling governments, and all sorts of wildly extravagant conspiracy theories that range from aggrandizing the trivial to simply making stuff up.



Ignore all that if it's happened to you; the only controversy this disc could ignite would be the careful avoidance, or potentially total ignoring of the Armenian Genocide from 1915-1917, said to be the inspiration for Adolph Hitler's Final Solution.


The documentary starts very much within 1914, and focuses on the "forgotten war" in World War I, that of the Ottoman Empire versus seemingly everyone else. Every major campaign from the failed Ottoman incursion into the Caucasus, the failed Ottoman incursion across the Suez Canal, to the political, military, and social developments throughout the war, from Winston Churchill's scapegoating for the disaster of Gallipoli, the taking of Baghdad, the massively successful push by Edmund Allenby past Gaza, and into Palestine and Jerusalem, and T.E. Lawrence's role in the Arab revolt.

The first 2/3s of the documentary, being almost wholly devoted to the Ottoman Empire and it's pisspoor management under the Three Pashas, and in-depth military coverage, strategies, movement, etcetera, followed by the seemingly heroic actions of General Mustafa Kemal in resisting the Allied attempt at stealing Turkish lands, and forcibly forming the Republic of Turkey.

These events prove to be highly significant to the last portion, which covers just how these events were directly responsible for causing the issue of the Western World intruding in the Arab World, and the introduction of Israel into the mix.


According to the documentary, the Ottoman Empire overextended itself. After being defeated in the Balkans in 1912-1913, the Turks did not want war, but Enver Pasha brought them into war anyway, and brought British eyes directly on their land. Early on, the British knew the significance of the oil in Ottoman lands, and so were relentless to trounce the Ottoman Empire, and utterly destroy them to steal their lands.

They would have succeeded with Turkey if it weren't for Mustafa Kemal. The region of Syria, Iraq, and Palestine did not escape this, as Britain and France arbitrarily divide Arab lands for themselves, turning their backs on the Arab leaders they had supported against the Ottomans, who now end up fighting the British and French in a series of wars that seemingly extend World War I for several years afterwards, in quite a sharp mirror to the current war in Iraq.

And the documentary does go on to connect the problems experienced between British greed and Arab nationalism, extending further on to include the British mandate to protect the Jews in Palestine, which was later dropped, allowing the Jews to forge their own nation of Israel, and the inclusion of the United States into the conflicts.



This is a highly engrossing, fully-fleshed out and heavily in-depth documentary, which greatly benefits from hundreds of photographs as well as video clips, and apparently licensed use of clips from movies, particularly "Lawrence of Arabia".


The only major drawback of this documentary is that there was no coverage given to the Armenian Genocide.

This is an excellent and compelling documentary of events leading to the middle east crisis that we have been feeling for the last almost 100 years. The video footage is well done and the narration is clear, not cluttered, and informative. The entire DVD is very objectively done and I found I could not stop it once I started. And I am not a war buff or one who likes war documentaries. Everyone should see this DVD to understand why we're in Iraq now and how the way the US has gone in there (and Afghanistan as well) is unlikely to help and will probably exacerbate an already bad situation.

Unlike most of the programs on this subject, this one doesn't seem to be created for commercial purposes. Therefore, it's short in entertaintment and long on truth. Nevertheless, it's never boring.

Credentials of the producer is impressive too, which is a big plus to enhance the credibility of the material. Having watched a number of World War I programs, I can easily say that this one is unique in many ways.

Watch it to gain a better perspective of the events that took place a very long time ago but still haunt Middle East.

If you really want to understand what is happening in the Middle East, then this dvd is a must see. From the Ottoman Empire to the Iraq war. How the US, GB and France carved up that area. Also,the CIA's role in the overthrow of the only democratic government ever elected in Iran. Last but most certainly not least is Israel's starring role in this entire affair.

In order to understand the current geopolitical situation in the Middle East, one needs a good grounding in the region's history. "Blood and Oil" provides an outstanding overview of the regional issues, from World War I to the present. Commentary by subject matter experts, as well as interesting historical footage, help to bring the information to life. Ever since my first viewing, I have recommended this film to *anyone* who says they don't know why the US is in the Middle East. I've watched the film twice since then, and have finally bought my own copy. Truly an outstanding work.

The most crucial events are ommitted, because the documentary makers slavishly adhere to the Turkish government's re-writing of history. The repeated dishonest treatment of the Armenian genocide is an embarassment unworthy of a serious documentary. Even when relating that Turkish soldiers died from a lack of medical care, the documentary makers cannot bring themselves to mention the government order to execute the relatively large Armenian medical staffs at every military hospital. When the desparate shortage of military supplies is mentioned, we are not told that the massacre of hundreds of thousands of Armenian manufacturers and farmers caused the shortages. In a bizarre reversal, Turks are presented as innocent victims of war, never as perpetrators. You'd never guess that the Turkish government's crimes were considered so heinous as to cause the very first use of the term "crimes against humanity."(better to read THE BURNING TIGRIS by Peter Balakian, or Turkish scholars Taner Akcam (SHAME), and Vahakn Dadrian (many titles).)

The depiction of the post-war period is equally distorted. There isn't a single mention of the attempts of the post-war Turkish leaders and Parliament to punish the war criminals. So, we are not told that the Turkish Justice Ministry filed cases against over 250 persons for war crimes. These files contain official telegrams, documents, and officials' depositions tying the wartime government to the policy of genocide.

The puny Armenian ministate that emerged after the peace settlement is shamelessly described as the great threat to Turkey (!), while the documentary makers "forget" to mention that the dictator Ataturk easily wiped out this ministate, and ordered more massacres of Armenian civilians.

Other minorities get the same ridiculous bias. Kurdish independence was crushed by the combined armies of Ataturk and Great Britain (for the sake of oil); but, the documentary only states that Kurdish aspirations for independence were a 'Western fabrication.' In other words, Kurds love the Turkish occupation so much that they would never wish to be free. (For a dose of reality, see Susan Meiselas' amazing picture album KURDISTAN IN THE SHADOW OF HISTORY.)

Greeks are dismissed as foreign invaders. In point of fact, Greeks were given temporary control of Smyrna/Izmir Province by treaty with Turkey, and under the supervision of the League of Nations. After five years, there was to be a vote on which country the inhabitants wished to join. The prospect of losing this vote is what prompted Ataturk to burn Smyrna and massacre the majority-Greek inhabitants, a fact considered best left unmentioned in the documentary. What a disgrace. Throw this DVD into the recycle bin.

This video is thorough and gives excellent Middle East background as far as recent history goes. It also depicts the shortcomings of human and political decisions in light of conflicting national interests. However I believe the roots of this particular conflict are deeply embedded in past millennia before the Western World began its consumption of oil.