What did the Sykes-Picot agreement set out to do? How might it impact the future of the Middle East?

The Sykes-Picot Agreement, officially known as the Asia Minor Agreement, was a secret agreement between the governments of the United Kingdom and France, with the assent of Russia, defining their proposed spheres of influence and control in the Middle East should the Triple Entente succeed in defeating the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

Here are the steps to understand what the Sykes-Picot agreement set out to do:

1. The agreement was named after its negotiators, Sir Mark Sykes of Britain and François Georges-Picot of France.
2. The main objective of the agreement was the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire, which was one of the Central Powers during World War I.
3. The agreement effectively divided the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire outside the Arabian peninsula into areas of future British and French control or influence.
4. The terms of the agreement were negotiated between November 1915 and March 1916, and the agreement was signed on 16 May 1916.
5. The agreement allocated to Britain control of areas roughly comprising the coastal strip between the Mediterranean Sea and the River Jordan, Jordan, southern Iraq, and a small area including the ports of Haifa and Acre. France was allocated control of southeastern Turkey, northern Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

As for the impact on the future of the Middle East, the Sykes-Picot Agreement has had significant and long-lasting effects:

1. The borders drawn by Britain and France in the Sykes-Picot Agreement are often cited as the root cause of much of the conflict in the Middle East today. The arbitrary lines didn't take into account the ethnic, tribal, religious, or cultural differences in these regions, leading to tension and conflict.
2. The agreement is seen as a betrayal by the Arab nations who were promised independence in return for their support against the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
3. The agreement also set the stage for the creation of Israel, further adding to the tension in the region.
4. The resentment and mistrust sown by the Sykes-Picot Agreement continue to shape the politics of the Middle East and fuel conflicts to this day.