Editing Arabian Peninsula (section)

===Modern history===
[[File:First saudi state.png|thumb|Expansion of the [[Emirate of Diriyah|first Saudi State]] from 1744 to 1814]]
[[File:Arabia 1914.png|thumb|The Arabian Peninsula in 1914]]
[[File:Saudi Unification Map.png|thumb|Territorial evolution of the [[Third Saudi State]] (1902–1934)]]
The provincial Ottoman Army for Arabia (Arabistan Ordusu) was headquartered in [[Syria (region)|Syria]], which included Palestine, the Transjordan region in addition to Lebanon ([[Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate|Mount Lebanon was, however, a semi-autonomous mutasarrifate]]). It was put in charge of Syria, Cilicia, Iraq, and the remainder of the Arabian Peninsula.<ref>see History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey, Stanford J. Shaw, Ezel Kural Shaw, Cambridge University Press, 1977, {{ISBN|0-521-29166-6}}, page 85</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Uxkz9D4Ff_sC&pg=PA417 The Politics of Interventionism in Ottoman Lebanon, 1830–1861, by Caesar E. Farah] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514211350/https://books.google.com/books?id=Uxkz9D4Ff_sC&pg=PA417&dq=&lr=&ei=BoDxSP2rFZbMzQTO3MXtBg&client= |date=14 May 2016 }}, explains that Mount Lebanon was in the jurisdiction of the Arabistan Army, and that its headquarters was briefly moved to Beirut.</ref> The Ottomans never had any control over central Arabia, also known as the [[Najd]] region.

The emergence of what was to become the Saudi royal family, known as the [[House of Saud|Al Saud]], began in [[Najd]] in central Arabia in 1744, when [[Muhammad bin Saud]], founder of the dynasty, joined forces with the religious leader [[Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab]], founder of the [[Wahhabi movement]], a strict puritanical form of Sunni Islam.<ref>{{cite book |title=Contemporary Religions: A World Guide |first1=Ian |last1=Harris |first2=Stuart|last2=Mews|first3=Paul|last3=Morris|first4= John |last4= Shepherd |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-582-08695-1 |page=369|publisher=Longman }}</ref> The [[Emirate of Diriyah]] established in the area around Riyadh rapidly expanded and briefly controlled most of the present-day territory of Saudi Arabia, [[Wahhabi sack of Karbala|sacking Karbala]] in 1802, and [[Destruction of early Islamic heritage sites in Saudi Arabia|capturing Mecca]] in 1803.<ref>"[http://countrystudies.us/saudi-arabia/7.htm The Saud Family and Wahhabi Islam] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316131703/http://countrystudies.us/saudi-arabia/7.htm |date=16 March 2017 }}". Library of Congress Country Studies.</ref>

The [[Damascus Protocol]] of 1914 provides an illustration of the regional relationships. Arabs living in one of the existing districts of the Arabian peninsula, the Emirate of [[Hejaz]], asked for a British guarantee of independence. Their proposal included all Arab lands south of a line roughly corresponding to the northern frontiers of present-day Syria and Iraq. They envisioned a new Arab state, or confederation of states, adjoining the southern Arabian Peninsula. It would have comprised [[Cilicia]]—[[İskenderun]] and [[Mersin]], Iraq with Kuwait, Syria, [[Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate]], Jordan, and [[Palestine]].<ref>As cited by R, John and S. Hadawi's, Palestine Diary, pp. 30–31, the 'Damascus Protocol' stated: "The recognition by Great Britain of the independence of the Arab countries lying within the following frontiers: North: The Line Mersin_Adana to parallel 37N. and thence along the line Birejek-Urga-Mardin-Kidiat-Jazirat (Ibn 'Unear)-Amadia to the Persian frontier; East: The Persian frontier down to the Persian Gulf; South: The Indian Ocean (with the exclusion of Aden, whose status was to be maintained). West: The Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea back to Mersin. The abolition of all exceptional privileges granted to foreigners under the capitulations. The conclusion of a defensive alliance between Great Britain ''and the future independent Arab State''. The grant of economic preference to Great Britain." see [https://books.google.com/books?id=n706ShSYt-sC ''King Husain and the Kingdom of Hejaz''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150322142502/http://books.google.com/books?id=n706ShSYt-sC&printsec=toc&dq=&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0#PPA65,M1 |date=22 March 2015 }}, By Randall Baker, Oleander Press, 1979, {{ISBN|0-900891-48-3}}, pages 64–65</ref>

In the modern era, the term bilad al-Yaman came to refer specifically to the south-western parts of the peninsula. Arab geographers started to refer to the whole peninsula as 'jazirat al-Arab', or the peninsula of the Arabs.<ref name="california"/>

====Late Ottoman rule and the Hejaz Railway====
The railway was started in 1900 at the behest of the Ottoman Sultan [[Abdul Hamid II]] and was built largely by the [[Turkey|Turk]]s, with [[German Empire|German]] advice and support. A public subscription was opened throughout the Islamic world to fund the construction. The railway was to be a [[waqf]], an inalienable religious endowment or charitable trust.<ref>King Hussein and the Kingdom of Hejaz, Randall Baker, Oleander Press 1979, {{ISBN|0-900891-48-3}}, page 18</ref>

====The Arab Revolt and the foundation of Saudi Arabia====
[[File:Map Arabia 1929 - Touring Club Italiano CART-TRC-10.jpg|thumb|Physical and political elements of Arabia in 1929]]
[[File:الملك عبد العزيز مع الشيخ جابر الأحمد الصباح.jpg|thumb|[[Ibn Saud|Abdulaziz Ibn Saud]], the founding father and first king of [[Saudi Arabia]]]]
The major developments of the early 20th century were the [[Arab Revolt]] during World War I and the subsequent collapse and [[partitioning of the Ottoman Empire]]. The Arab Revolt (1916–1918) was initiated by the [[Sherif Hussein ibn Ali]] with the aim of securing independence from the ruling [[Ottoman Empire]] and creating a single unified Arab state spanning from [[Aleppo]] in Syria to [[Aden]] in Yemen. During World War I, the Sharif Hussein entered into an alliance with the United Kingdom and France against the Ottomans in June 1916.
[[File:Map_of_the_states_of_the_Arabian_Peninsula_(1905-1923).svg|thumb|The Arabian Peninsula in 1923]]
These events were followed by the foundation of Saudi Arabia under King [[Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia|Abdulaziz Ibn Saud]]. After the collapse of the [[Emirate of Diriyah]], the House of Sand regrouped and in 1824 founded the [[Second Saudi State]], which would control most of Arabia for the next two-thirds of a century. Ibn Saud, after his family lost power in 1891, would establish the [[Third Saudi State]], capturing [[Riyadh]] in 1902, and, successively subduing Al-Hasa, [[Emirate of Jabal Shammar|Jabal Shammar]] and [[Kingdom of Hejaz|Hejaz]] between 1913 and 1926. The Saudis then absorbed the [[Idrisid Emirate of Asir|Emirate of Asir]], with their expansion only ending in 1934 after a [[Saudi–Yemeni War (1934)|war with Yemen]].

====Oil reserves====
The second major development has been the discovery of [[List of countries by proven oil reserves|vast reserves of oil]] in the 1930s. Its production brought great wealth to all countries of the region, with the exception of Yemen.

====North Yemen Civil War====
{{main|North Yemen civil war}}

The North Yemen Civil War was fought in [[Yemen Arab Republic|North Yemen]] between royalists of the [[Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen]] and factions of the [[Yemen Arab Republic]] from 1962 to 1970. The war began with a [[coup d'état]] carried out by the republican leader, [[Abdullah as-Sallal]], which dethroned the newly crowned [[Muhammad al-Badr]] and declared Yemen a republic under his presidency. The Imam escaped to the Saudi Arabian border and rallied popular support.

The royalist side received support from Saudi Arabia, while the republicans were supported by Egypt and the Soviet Union. Both foreign irregular and conventional forces were also involved. The [[President of Egypt|Egyptian President]], [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]], supported the republicans with as many as 70,000 troops. Despite several military moves and peace conferences, the war sank into a stalemate. Egypt's commitment to the war is considered to have been detrimental to its performance in the [[Six-Day War]] of June 1967, after which Nasser found it increasingly difficult to maintain his army's involvement and began to pull his forces out of Yemen.

By 1970, King [[Faisal of Saudi Arabia]] recognized the republic and a truce was signed. Egyptian military historians refer to Egypt's role in the war in Yemen as analogous to the [[United States]]' role in the [[Vietnam War]].<ref name=enein>{{Cite news |issue=Jan–Feb, 2004 |last=Aboul-Enein |first=Youssef |title=The Egyptian-Yemen War: Egyptian perspectives on Guerrilla warfare |work=Infantry Magazine |access-date=October 3, 2008 |date=2004-01-01 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0IAV/is_1_93/ai_n6123802 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070203161830/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0IAV/is_1_93/ai_n6123802 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-02-03}}</ref>

====Gulf War====
{{main|Gulf War}}
In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait.<ref>see Richard Schofield, Kuwait and Iraq: Historical Claims and Territorial. Disputes, London: Royal Institute of International Affairs 1991, {{ISBN|0-905031-35-0}} and The Kuwait Crisis: Basic Documents, By E. Lauterpacht, C. J. Greenwood, Marc Weller, Published by Cambridge University Press, 1991, {{ISBN|0-521-46308-4}}</ref> The [[invasion of Kuwait]] by Iraqi forces led to the 1990–91 [[Gulf War]]. Egypt, Qatar, Syria, and Saudi Arabia joined a multinational [[Coalition of the Gulf War|coalition]] that opposed Iraq. Displays of support for Iraq by Jordan and Palestine resulted in strained relations between many of the Arab states. After the war, a so-called "Damascus Declaration" formalized an alliance for future joint Arab defensive actions between Egypt, Syria, and the GCC member states.<ref>Egypt's Bid for Arab Leadership: Implications for U.S. Policy, By Gregory L. Aftandilian, Published by Council on Foreign Relations, 1993, {{ISBN|0-87609-146-X}}, pages 6–8</ref>

====2014 Yemen civil war====
{{main|Yemeni civil war (2014–present)}}

The [[Arab Spring]] reached Yemen in January 2011.<ref>BBC World News, Arab Uprising:Country by Country -Yemen</ref> People of Yemen took to the street demonstrating against three decades of rule by President [[Ali Abdullah Saleh]].<ref>Cornell University Library. Arab Spring:A Research & Study Guide:Yemen guides. library.cornell.edu. Last Updated: May 9, 2019</ref> The demonstration led to cracks in the ruling General People's Congress (GPC) and Saleh's Sanhani clan.<ref>Britannica.com. "Yemen Uprising of 2011–12". Written By:The editors of Encyclopedia Britannica.</ref> Saleh used tactics of concession and violence to save his presidency.<ref>University Library. University of Illinois at Urbana-champaign. guides.library.edu. Arab Spring Workshop:Yemen</ref> After numerous attempts, Saleh accepted the Gulf Cooperation Council's mediation. He eventually handed power to Vice President Hadi, who was sworn in as President of Yemen on 25 February 2012. Hadi launched a national dialogue to address new constitutional, political and social issues. The [[Houthi movement]], dissatisfied with the outcomes of the national dialogue, [[Houthi takeover in Yemen|launched an offensive]] and stormed the Yemeni capital Sanaa on 21 September 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/01/23/how-the-houthis-did-it-yemen-hadi-arab-spring/|first=Laura|last=Kasinof|title=How the Houthis Did It|date=2015|website=Foreign Policy|access-date=15 February 2015|archive-date=30 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220330021054/https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/01/23/how-the-houthis-did-it-yemen-hadi-arab-spring/|url-status=live}}</ref> In response, Saudi Arabia launched a [[Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war|military intervention in Yemen]] in March 2015.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wintour |first=Patrick |author-link=Patrick Wintour |date=3 September 2019 |title=UK, US and France may be complicit in Yemen war crimes – UN report |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/03/uk-us-and-france-may-be-complicit-in-yemen-war-crimes-un-report |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022141109/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/03/uk-us-and-france-may-be-complicit-in-yemen-war-crimes-un-report |archive-date=22 October 2019 |access-date=17 May 2020 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> The civil war and subsequent military intervention and [[blockade of Yemen|blockade]] caused a [[Famine in Yemen (2016–present)|famine in Yemen]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/31/opinion/columnists/yemen-famine-cholera.html|title=The Photos the U.S. and Saudi Arabia Don't Want You to See|first=Nicholas|last=Kristof|date=31 August 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=17 May 2020|archive-date=31 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831091519/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/31/opinion/columnists/yemen-famine-cholera.html|url-status=live}}</ref>