During WWI, the Ottoman Empire was divided into what is known today as the Middle East. The borders that were drawn during the turmoil of the war continue to influence the region to this day.

To learn more, join the KU WWI Centennial Commemoration at these two upcoming events: 

image003Humanities and Honors Program WWI Film Series: Lawrence of Arabia
Sunday, October 2, 1:00 pm | The Jay (1st floor), Kansas Union
Lawrence of Arabia, the 1962 epic film depicts T. E. Lawrence’s experiences in the Arabian Peninsula during WWI. The film describes his emotional struggles with the personal violence inherent in war, his own identity, and his divided allegiance between his native Britain and its army and his new-found comrades within the Arabian Desert tribes. The film won seven Academy Awards. This event is part of KU’s WWI Centennial Commemoration, coordinated by the European Studies Program. FREE and open to the public.

image005Lawrence in Arabia
Monday, October 17, 7:30 pm | Lied Center Pavilion
Scott Anderson, author of Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East
At the end of WWI, a British colonel, T. E. Lawrence, better known as “Lawrence of Arabia,” warned in vain against plans to divide the Middle East into imperial spheres of control. Disaster struck almost as he had foretold. Today the world lives with the consequences of his ignored warning. This talk will focus on the life of T. E. Lawrence and bring that history forward to the present day. Anderson compiled a report, based on trips he took to the Middle East, on the Arab Spring revolutions. He will show how much of the region’s current turmoil has its roots in decisions made nearly a century ago and also discuss where the crisis is likely to go next. Reception and book signing to follow. Sponsored by the Hall Center for the Humanities. FREE and open to the public.

Adrienne Landry Dunavin is a member of the Kansas WWI Centennial Commemoration Committee and is the primary administrator of KansasWW1.org. She worked at the KU Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies as their Outreach Coordinator from 2010-2016. During that time she served on the KU WWI Centennial Commemoration Working Group. She continues to volunteer as a representative for CREES and KU WWI on this blog.