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    Drawing Lines: The Middle East Puzzle

    28 min
    |
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    Jan 25, 2026
    PoliticsHistorySocial Science

    Explore how borders drawn a century ago by European powers continue to shape today's Middle East conflicts, from the post-Ottoman carve-up to modern geopolitical tensions.

    Drawing Lines: The Middle East Puzzle

    Best quote from Drawing Lines: The Middle East Puzzle

    “

    Traditional alliances were like concrete, but these new partnerships are more like water, constantly shifting based on immediate threats and opportunities in a multipolar free-for-all where old rules no longer applied.

    ”

    This audio lesson was created by a BeFreed community member

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    Middle East history and politics

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    Fun
    Knowledge sources
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    Part of a Learning Plan

    Learn the Middle East history

    Learn the Middle East history

    LEARNING PLAN

    Learn the Middle East history

    3 h 16 m•4 Episodes

    Key Takeaways

    1

    Drawing Lines, Shaping Destiny

    0:00
    0:11
    0:30
    0:40
    1:02
    1:16
    1:38
    2

    The Great Unraveling

    1:49
    2:04
    2:09
    2:35
    2:44
    3:09
    3:12
    3:34
    3:45
    4:09
    4:12
    4:31
    4:37
    3

    When Ideologies Collide

    5:01
    5:16
    5:38
    0:40
    5:57
    6:02
    6:23
    6:33
    6:49
    0:40
    7:18
    7:19
    7:40
    0:11
    8:08
    8:17
    4

    The Economics of Survival

    8:36
    0:11
    9:05
    9:09
    9:28
    9:34
    9:52
    9:54
    10:14
    10:17
    10:32
    10:35
    10:54
    10:58
    11:17
    11:22
    11:47
    4:12
    5

    The Proxy Game

    12:15
    12:32
    12:49
    3:12
    13:10
    13:16
    13:36
    13:39
    13:59
    0:40
    14:24
    14:29
    14:47
    14:52
    15:09
    4:12
    15:31
    15:40
    6

    The Abraham Accords Paradox

    16:01
    16:15
    16:33
    16:36
    16:55
    4:12
    17:17
    3:12
    17:43
    17:49
    18:10
    18:14
    18:34
    18:36
    18:56
    19:02
    19:15
    19:24
    19:42
    19:46
    7

    Navigating the New Middle East

    20:02
    20:13
    20:33
    20:35
    20:58
    0:40
    21:23
    21:29
    21:47
    21:50
    22:14
    22:18
    2:35
    22:45
    23:03
    23:08
    23:27
    23:31
    23:54
    0:40
    8

    Looking Forward

    24:23
    24:33
    24:49
    24:50
    25:12
    0:40
    25:36
    25:42
    26:06
    26:12
    26:35
    26:39
    26:59
    27:01
    27:20
    27:25
    27:44
    4:12
    28:11
    28:31
    28:46

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