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The compromise under which the other Allies agreed to grant Japan Germany’s concessions in China infuriated the Chinese.

China became the only country represented at the Paris Peace Conference to refuse to sign the Treaty of Versailles. The perceived betrayal of the Western powers, along with the seeming failure of democracy at home turned many Chinese leaders against Western values.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening Theme

“Jasmine Flower”
Traditional. Public domain.

“Wa Ha Ha”
Traditional. Public domain.

Closing Theme 

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Japan, like Italy, went into the Paris Peace Conference with demands the other Allies were reluctant to embrace.

The Italian walkout gave Japan the leverage it needed to win its territorial claims, but the debate on racism left the Japanese feeling humiliated.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening Theme

“Sakura Sakura”
Traditional. Public domain.

Closing Theme 

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Vittorio Orlando’s walking out on the Paris Peace Conference backfired, and his government lost a vote of no confidence.

Angry Italian socialists clashed in the streets with disgruntled Italian fascists over the future of Italy until, faced with the choice of crushing the fascists or inviting them into government, the King chose the latter.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening Theme

“Giovinezza”
Composed in 1909 by Giuseppe Blanc. Public domain.
Public domain recording. Source.

Closing Theme 

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Italian Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando went into the Paris Peace Conference with an extensive list of territorial demands for Italy.

When the Allies, and particularly Woodrow Wilson, refused to endorse the Italian claims, Orlando chose to walk out of the conference.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening Theme

Cello Sonata in E minor.
Composed c. 1725 by Antonio Vivaldi. Public domain.
Performed by The Telemann Trio. Public domain recording. Source.

Closing Theme 

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The Turkish nationalists remained defiant. With his Cabinet divided and the British public opposed to war, David Lloyd George hopes the Greeks can subdue the Turks and salvage the situation.

But the Greek offensive failed. The Greeks were ultimately driven from Anatolia in a bitter war that left hard feelings on both sides and brought down the Lloyd George government.

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The Four Lads perform “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” in 1953:

They Might Be Giants perform “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” in 1990, as interpreted by Tiny Toon Adventures:

Fanfare

Opening Theme

Istanbul Dawn

Closing Theme 

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As the USA, Italy, and France all lose interest in the region, Britain tries to enforce the Treaty of Sèvres on its own, turning to Greece for support.

But the political situation in Greece is unstable. Meanwhile, Turkish nationalists are receiving arms and support from Moscow.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening Theme

“Semera donla m’Paschalia”
Traditional. Public domain.
Performed by Ioannes Milkas, Euangelos Gkopas, and Antonios Chalatses, and used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Source.

“Τou Mageirou (Achtsiska)”
Traditional. Public domain.
Performed by Demitris Zedamanis, Konnos Ouroumis, Basigis Tsiokas, and Athanasios Giannikis, and used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Source.

Closing Theme 

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Allied military units were taking up positions in the territory of the defeated Ottoman Empire. The Empire was certain to lose its Arab lands, but rumor had the Allies partitioning Turkey among themselves.

The Sultan and the government in Constantinople were Allied hostages in all but name. In the interior of the country, though, nationalists regrouped and prepared to resist Allied designs on their homeland.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening Theme

Istanbul Twilight

Closing Theme 

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The British were content to recognize Hussein of Mecca as King of Hejaz, but Hussein resisted Allied plans for Palestine and the Levant.

The Emir of neighboring Najd was more flexible with the British, but had his own quarrels with Hussein, which eventually led to the Emir seizing control of Hussein’s kingdom and combining his realms into Saudi Arabia.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening Theme

Damascus Dusk

Closing Theme 

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Pursuant to what they had agreed upon in the Sykes-Picot Agreement, France and Britain divided between themselves the most desirable Arab lands—the Fertile Crescent.

The Arabs of the region were not consulted and did not consent to the arrangement, although the British did make one of King Hussein’s sons the King of Iraq and the other the Emir of Transjordan, while adopting a low profile in the governance of those two nations.

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening Theme

“Mawwal”
Traditional. Public domain.
Performed by Ahmed Abdul Qadir al-Musili. Public domain recording.
Source.

Closing Theme 

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The European powers intended to divide up the territories of the Ottoman Empire among themselves, just as was the case with Africa.

But the peoples of those regions had their own ideas. Egypt, long ruled by Britain, fought for independence, while Afghanistan broke relations with Britain in the wake of the Amritsar Massacre and declared war.

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Steve Martin performs “King Tut” on Saturday Night Live, May 22, 1978:

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Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening Theme

“Rah Wilfy”
Traditional. Public domain.
Performed by Badria Anwar. Public domain recording. Source.

Closing Theme 

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Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Mask of Tutankhamun photographed by Roland Unger and used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 license. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.