World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, occurred from July 28, 1914, to November 11, 1918. The war involved many of the world's great powers and was characterized by trench warfare, significant technological advancements in military weaponry, and widespread devastation. 

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During World War I, the British Empire made a series of conflicting promises to various parties in the Middle East, including the Arabs, in an attempt to gain support against the Ottoman Empire. The most notable of these commitments are often referred to as the Hussein-McMahon Correspondence and the Sykes-Picot Agreement.

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1. Hussein-McMahon Correspondence (1915-1916): Sir Henry McMahon, the British High Commissioner in Egypt, exchanged letters with Sherif Hussein bin Ali, the leader of the Hashemite Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire. In these letters, McMahon indicated British support for Arab independence in exchange for Arab assistance against the Ottomans.
2. Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916): In parallel with the Hussein-McMahon Correspondence, the Sykes-Picot Agreement was a secret understanding between Britain and France. Diplomats Mark Sykes (for Britain) and François Georges-Picot (for France) planned the post-war partition of the Ottoman Empire's Arab provinces into spheres of influence controlled by the two European powers.

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The conflicting promises made by the British created tension between the commitments to the Arabs for an independent Arab state and the secret agreement to divide the region with the French. The Arab leaders felt betrayed when the true nature of the Sykes-Picot Agreement was revealed.

After the war, with the League of Nations granting Britain the mandate over Palestine and Iraq, and France the mandate over Syria and Lebanon, the promises of Arab independence were not fully realized. This contributed to longstanding grievances in the region and had a lasting impact on the political dynamics of the Middle East.

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