I have read that at least partial blame for the violence in Syria and Iraq goes to the Western leaders who drew uninformed borders to create new countries that contained ethnic groups with a long history of violence against one another. I'm less interested in the validity of this theory, but as to the following:

• To what extent were these ethnic groups fighting each other during the latter part of the Ottoman empire?

• What differences, if any, were there between the situations now (minority governments/dictatorships ruling cruelly under fear of persecution if they fall), versus when they were all under "one roof"? Did the Shia and Alawite Muslims play more nicely with the Sunni during these times?

• Is life better or worse for the Sunni Muslims in Syria (now) and Iraq (in 2003), versus in the early 1900s?

I have your typical Western understanding of the Middle East, so unfortunately I don't know much about the Ottoman Empire except that they existed and fought on the losing side of WWI. Many thanks for any insight!