A 1920 meeting in Italy redrew the map of the modern Middle East
History
Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, a high-stakes meeting in a quiet Italian town established the borders and political frameworks that continue to define the modern Middle East a century later.
In April 1920, the victors of World War I met at the San Remo conference to decide the fate of the former Ottoman territories. They established the Mandate system, granting Britain control over Palestine and Iraq, while France received Syria and Lebanon.