TheClemenceau–Lloyd George Agreement of 1 December 1918 was a verbal agreement that modified the 1916Sykes–Picot Agreement in respect toPalestine and theMosul vilayet. The latter component is also known as theMosul cession. The agreement was between British and French Prime MinistersDavid Lloyd George andGeorges Clemenceau and took place at theFrench Embassy in London.[1]
DuringWorld War I, theUnited Kingdom andFrance signed the secret Sykes–Picot Agreement in 1916, which effectivelypartitioned the Ottoman Empire into areas of British and French control and spheres of influence. Part of the Mosul vilayet, namely the city ofMosul and the area south to theLittle Zab, was allocated to France by the agreement, and this accord was formally ratified in May 1916.
Despite this agreement, Clemenceau would abandon France's claims on Mosul,northern Mesopotamia, and Palestine, transferring control to Britain after a private discussion on 1 December 1918. In return, France would gain rights to a large share of all oil to be discovered in now-British Mosul—known to have substantial deposits—though the exact percentages would remain unclear until theLong-Berenger Oil Agreement of 8 April 1919. More importantly, Clemenceau also hoped that the agreement would allow France further leverage to pursue its peace treaty goals in theRhineland and allow a stronger French claim toSyria andLebanon as set out in the Sykes-Picot agreement, against the Britain-alignedArab Kingdom.[1][2] The agreement was finalised in a meeting atDeauville in 1919.[1]
The agreement was controversial because France did not appear to have gained any substantial changes from Britain in return for the concessions of Mosul and Palestine.[1] John J McTague Jr wrote, "Despite the informality of this agreement, Lloyd George and Clemenceau held to it and it became the basis for legitimizing the British claim to Palestine".[3]