Since the end of World War II, the Middle East has witnessed the clash of religions, ideologies, and emergency nation states. All of these conflicts are, in a very real sense, an outgrowth of the political arrangements imposed upon the Middle East by Britain, France, and Russia after the First World War. This study examines the extent to which the political arrangements imposed by the allies after the First World War have contributed to the upheavals that plague the Middle East today. The study focuses on the British experiences in the Middle East and the lessons that can be learned from that experience. The study concludes by addressing the degree to which the region's political inheritance has implications for the nature of U.S. security strategy, in the Middle East.