THE FEATURES OF THE EMERGENCE OF THE YEMAN STATE ON THE PRIORITY OF THE WORLD WAR II

Abstract

Based on  the secret British diplomatic documents  of  the National Archives of India, as well as literature in English, Arabic and Russian, this article examines the specifics of the British policy in the south of the Red Sea basin, which had and continues to be of great strategic importance. The article examines the true history of the formation of the Yemeni state after the division of Yemen at the beginning of the XXth century between Great Britain and the Ottoman Empire. The materials of diplomatic correspondence between London and the British colony of Aden made it possible to show how changes in the international situation influenced the decision-making by the British colonial authorities regarding Yemen and  what methods they used to strengthen their positions in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. Using blackmail, bribing local sheikhs, inciting religious hatred between Zaidis and Shafiites, diplomatic pressure, military threat, bombardment of Yemeni territories by the Royal airforces, located in Aden, escalating tensions between the Imam of Yemen and Ibn Saud, Great Britain achieved recognition by Yemen of its positions in the south of the Arabian Peninsula.