Author: Jakob Krais

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Postcard from the time of the First World War showing the allies Kaiser Wilhelm II, left, Sultan Mehmed V, centre, and Kaiser Franz-Joseph, right (photo: picture-alliance)

Historical roots of the current Middle East crisis

The end of an artificial construct

After the First World War, many people hoped for a lasting order that would bring peace. The mandate system, which was supervised by the international community, was supposed to bring a new form of "benevolent" imperialism to the Middle East. However, the region is still dominated by the problems that were created at that time – more so today than ever before. By Jakob KraisMore

Syria and the Middle East: The end of the Sykes–Picot system?Germans and Ottomans in the First World War: A partnership of privilegeInterview with Daniel Barenboim: "The world is suffering from a lack of leadership"
A harkis unit, Muslims recruited by the French for the battle against Algerian rebels, marches through an Algiers street in 1957 (photo: AFP)

Sixty years since the beginning of the Algerian war

National fronts?

The Algerian War began 60 years ago. Some eight years later, a new Arab nation came about – and a million Algerians of French origin fled to France. The recent successes of the extreme-right Front National have made these "pieds-noirs" a political factor again, as the fronts of the Algerian War retain contemporary relevance. By Jakob KraisMore

Literature and Collective Trauma in Algeria: Moving Beyond the Examination of HistoryInterview with Benjamin Stora: The Bitter Legacy of Past Franco-Algerian RelationsLiterature and Collective Trauma in Algeria: Moving Beyond the Examination of History
Kaiser Wilhelm II on a state visit to the Ottoman Empire in 1917 (photo: picture-alliance/Akg-images)

Germans and Ottomans in the First World War

A partnership of privilege

When the First World War began 100 years ago, German advisers in the Ottoman Empire were a common sight. The Ottomans hoped their alliance with the military power Germany would help them reverse their waning military fortunes. In the end, however, they lost their entire empire as a result of the conflict. By Jakob Krais
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Fatih Akin's film about the Armenian genocide: Processing a collective traumaTurkey and Armenia: "This Is None of Europe's Business"Armenians in Turkey: A Feeling of Powerlessness

In brief

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Most Recent Photo Essay

Birth of two nations: in 1947, British India was divided into two countries – India and Pakistan. Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah and his All-India Muslim League party had first demanded autonomy for Muslim-majority areas in the undivided India and only later a separate country for Muslims. Jinnah believed that Hindus and Muslims could not continue to live together, as they were distinctly different "nations"

Partition of India: The way forward

On 15 August 1947, British India split into two nations – Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. The two countries continue to be hostile towards each other despite some efforts to improve bilateral ties. By Shamil Shams