Three Leaders Who Moulded Modern Middle East (1918-2003) @HikmaHistory

Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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The Middle East’s modern history has been turbulent. The vacuum left by European Empires would be filled by dynamic ideologies and above all, charismatic figures who promised to lead their nations to better futures. In this feature length documentary, I will cover the lives of 3 of the most prominent Middle Eastern leaders of the 20th century: Mustafa Kemal Ataturk of Turkey, Mohamed Reza Shah Pahlavi of Iran and Saddam Hussein of Iraq. The 3 leaders represent the 3 major cultures of the region; Turkish, Persian and Arab. Each one of them highlights subtly different political orders; with Ataturk being the poster child for Nationalism, whilst the Shah epitomized monarchy and Saddam was the archetypal dictator who drew upon Arab Socialist values. Their legacies continue to dominate their respective nations today, therefore they are integral to comprehend the present situation in all 3 countries. But more importantly, by tracking their lives, I hope you the viewer can get a broader understanding of Middle Eastern history in the 20th century, as the 3 leader’s combined rules take us from the end of WWI until 2003.

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0:00 Intro
1:45 Ataturk I: Soldier of the Sultan Qajars & Reza Khan Context (1881-1918)
12:56 Ataturk II: Fight for Independence (1918-1923)
24:31 Ataturk III: Becoming Ataturk (1923-1938)
42:14 Shah I: The Manipulated (1919-1953)
54:36 Shah II: The Autocrat (1953-1980)
1:08:47 Saddam I: He Who Confronts (1937-1979)
1:24:15 Saddam II: Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)
1:43:25 Saddam III: Public Enemy No. 1 (1988-2006)
2:03:49 Conclusion

Three Leaders Who Moulded Modern Middle East (1918-2003)

$Ibadisms Hidden History: Islam’s Third Branch When people today talk about the sectarian violence between the separate branches of Islam, they rarely are referring to Ibadism. Only three million Muslims identify as Ibadi, making up less than 1% of the global population. They are a distinct branch, neither Sunni nor Shia, and so they do not interpret the Qur’an identically to the other branches either. Their origins are rooted in the factitious events of Islam’s first civil war. Growing out of the extremist and violent Kharijite sect, Ibadis transformed themselves into a much more moderate movement. In fact these days, even as the modern Islamic world’s relationship grows more volatile both with the West and within itself, the Ibadis do not often contribute to this debate. From their base in Oman, Ibadis have instead been at the forefront of calling for tolerance and unity amongst Muslims. How did this change happen? What distinguishes Ibadis from other Muslims, and are these differences significant? Today, we will explore the history of Islamic fracture by exploring Ibadism. FREE NEWSLETTER: https://mailchi.mp/a69f93be6c66/hikma-history-newsletter - Become a Patron for as little as a dollar a month to vote on upcoming and keep the movement going! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=12397811 Massive thank you to our Patreons: Elman Walid Preston P Adam Mohammad Areeb Awais Omar Farid Ibrahim Ari Joshua Haseeb Amir Mahmoud Joel CoreBard - Join our social media community: Twitter: https://twitter.com/HikmaHistory Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hikmahistory/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HikmaHistory/ Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hikma... #ibadi #oman #islam Images Used: Music Used: Doug Maxwell - Arabian Nightfall (Sting): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bRzD... If any of the images or songs are yours, please let me know I will amend them. Please dont report me straight away! 0:00 Intro 1:25 Internecine Context 3:46 First Imamates, Expansion into North Africa 6:35 Rustamid Golden Age 09:09 Ibadi Rebirth in Oman$

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