Classes+of+Mandates

Three kinds of mandates were mandated by the Mandate System: A. The countries under this mandate were __ready for independence__ in the near future. They were former Ottoman states in the Middle East: Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Transjordan and Iraq. B. The countries under this mandate were __not ready for independence__. They were German colonies in Africa, divided between France, Great Britain and Belgium. C. These possessions were underdeveloped and given to the nations that conquered them: German possessions in the Pacific went to Japan, Australia and New Zeland and Southwest Africa was given to South Africa. (Cannon 40).

A system of **accountability** was introduced with the purpose that colonial powers had some specific responsabilities over their colonies. However, countries like Japan treated -the territories under the mandates- as other colonies they possesed. And yet the idea of establishing the mandates __was to make a positive impact on the territories divided__. (Cannon 41).

The mayority of the territories went to UK and France, the winners in the war. Besides they were already the largest empires. This situation bothered the Germans who lost everything and Italians sided with the winners and yet didn´t receive anything.
 * Controversy**

The Arabs in the Middle East helped the British defeat the Ottomans. In exchange, Arabs expected land and independence. British and French divided the area between them and __gave nothing__ to the Arabs. This decision, based on the **Sykes-Picot Agreement**, made Arabs mad. They revolted against Great Britain and France. British went ahead with the **Balfour Declaration of 1917**, giving the Jews in Palestine the hope of their national homeland.
 * The Middle East Mandate**