The two Ottoman vilayets into which today's Jordan was split
May 1916: Anticipating the Allied defeat of the Ottoman Empire, Britain and France made the Sykes–Picot Agreement, which divided Ottoman territory into future spheres of influence: French in Syria, British in Palestine and Mesopotamia. The Agreement defined the border between these zones. At the time, the area which is today Jordan was part of the Hejaz vilayet and the Syria vilayet.
June 1916: Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca allied with the Britain and France against the Ottomans sometime around 8 June 1916, the actual date being somewhat uncertain. This alliance began the Arab Revolt.[1] Hussein then declared himself King of Hejaz.
October 1918: The Ottoman Empire signed the Armistice of Mudros, ending the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. Arabs formed a provisional government in Syria headed by Faisal, the leader of the Arab revolt and third son of Hussein bin Ali.[4][5] The area which became Trans-Jordan was split between the southern extension of Syria and the northern extension of Hejaz.[2]
March 1920: I Faisal proclaimed himself King of Syria
October 1920: High Commissioner Samuel ordered Captain Frederick Peake to form an Arab security force of 150 men. This force developed into the Arab Legion.
Emirate and Mandate period
Emirate of Trans-Jordan | Mandate for Palestine
1921: In March, the Cairo Conference (1921) agrees to award the Emirate of Trans-Jordan to Abdullah and the mandate of Mesopotamia to Faisal[6] During the conference, Winston Churchill convinced Abdullah to stay put and not attack the French because that would threaten his throne in Transjordan since the French had military superiority over his forces.[7]
1922: The Council of the League of Nations accepts the British Transjordan memorandum defining the limits of Trans-Jordan and excluding that territory from the provisions in the Mandate concerning the Jewish national home.[8]
Emirate of Trans-Jordan | Trans-Jordan memorandum
1922: British Government passes the Order defining Boundaries of Territory to which the Palestine Order-in-Council does not applyl see Trans-Jordan memorandum
1923: Britain recognises Transjordan with Abdullah as its leader
1923: Frederick Peake's "Mobile Force" becomes Al Jeish al Arabi (the Arab Army), known in English as the Arab Legion
1925: Hadda Agreement between TransJordan and Nejd formally agrees the boundary between the two countries following the Kuwait Conference. The agreement concludes by stating "This Agreement will remain in force for so long as His Britannic Majesty's Government are entrusted with the Mandate for Trans-Jordan"[9]
Post-Mandate period
Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan
1946: Britain ends its mandate over Transjordan, granting full independence to the Kingdom
Image showing the approximate land exchanged between Jordan (gaining green) and Saudi Arabia (gaining red)
1951: Riad as-Solh, former Lebanese prime minister, was assassinated in Amman by member of the Syrian Nationalist Party.[10]
1951: King Abdullah I of Jordan was assassinated in Jerusalem by a Palestinian after rumors circulating about his intent to sign a peace treaty with Israel. Talal is proclaimed king after his father.
1955: Wide scale violent anti-Hashemite riots across Jordan result in resignation of the Majali government and retraction of Jordan from the Baghdad Pact. An anti-Christian riot also takes place in Madaba the same year.
1956: King Hussein sacks the British personnel in the Jordanian army, an act of Arabization to ensure the complete soveireginty of Jordan.
1965: Jordan and Saudi Arabia concluded a bilateral agreement that realigned and delimited the boundary, resulting in some exchange of territory, allowing Jordan to expand its port facilities at Aqaba and protecting the pasturage and watering rights of certain nomadic tribes.
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