... was a vain attempt at keeping on good terms with the French, as whether or not the French were going to 'stay friendly' with the British was becoming questionable. This promise was to France, promising to share the Middle East with the French after the war. In 1916, the Sykes-Picot agreement was drawn up, dividing the Middle East up into large areas. While some areas would be placed under the direct rule of either the French of the British, the rest of the areas would be changed into Arab, with the 'influence' of either the French or British. Understandably, these details of the agreement were all kept secrets at first, but just before the war ended, all the information came out. The third and final promise was made to the Jews in 1917, and was called the Balfour Declaration. This was, like the McMahon letter to the Arabs, promising ...

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