---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: History may someday record that the Arab…"
description: "\"History may someday record that the Arab awakening that began with the Arab revolt of 1916 against the Ottomans ended about a century later with a whim..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/elliott-abrams-1577_about_history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab_72950.jpg"
---

#  History may someday record that the Arab awakening that…

![“History may someday record that the Arab awakening that began with the Arab revolt of 1916 against the Ottomans ended about a century later with a whimper.” quote by Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/elliott-abrams-1577_about_history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab_72950.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/elliott-abrams-1577_about_history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab_72950.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/elliott-abrams-1577_about_history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab_72950.jpg)

> “History may someday record that the Arab awakening that began with the Arab revolt of 1916 against the Ottomans ended about a century later with a whimper.”

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote suggests that the Arab nationalist movement, which started with a bold revolt, ultimately faded without a decisive conclusion, implying a decline in revolutionary momentum.

**In simple terms:** Arab nationalism's rise and quiet decline.

Key Takeaway

Revolutions can lose vigor over time.

Themes

historical perspective political change nationalism decline imperialism

Mood

reflective somber analytical

Type

historical observation political commentary

When to use this quote

- academic lectures on Middle Eastern history
- policy analysis of modern Arab states
- media retrospectives on nationalist movements

Key Concepts

Arab Revolt Ottoman Empire 20th‑century decolonization regional identity

Practical Applications

- educational curricula
- strategic forecasting for foreign policy

Questions to Reflect On

- What factors contributed to the movement’s loss of momentum?
- How might different outcomes have reshaped the region?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Arab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arab/) [Awakening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awakening/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Revolt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolt/)

## Related quotes

> [We oppose occupation of land by force and we believe in dialogue as the method for regaining Arab rights. This is the spirit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-hussein-i/we-oppose-occupation-of-land-by-force-and-we-believe-in-dialogue-as/)

[King Hussein I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-hussein-i/)

> [The Arab awakening was driven by youth, organized by technology, and fired by a hunger for political change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/najib-razak/the-arab-awakening-was-driven-by-youth-organized-by-technology-and/)

[Najib Razak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/najib-razak/)

> [The Arab Awakening or Arab Spring has transformed the geopolitical landscape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ban-ki-moon/the-arab-awakening-or-arab-spring-has-transformed-the-geopolitical/)

[Ban Ki-moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ban-ki-moon/)

> [I think the Arab awakening has changed everything and I think a lot will depend on what people there ask of us, may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/i-think-the-arab-awakening-has-changed-everything-and-i-think-a-lot/)

[Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/)

> [“...and that casual glance was the beginning of a cataclysm of love that still had not ended half a century later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/and-that-casual-glance-was-the-beginning-of-a-cataclysm-of-love-that/)

[Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/)

> [“But knowing that things could be worse should not stop us from trying to make them better. When the suffragettes marched in the streets,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/but-knowing-that-things-could-be-worse-should-not-stop-us-from-trying/)

[Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/)

> [Sometimes you just stumble into something that works, and here I am a quarter of a century later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-sajak/sometimes-you-just-stumble-into-something-that-works-and-here-i-am-a/)

[Pat Sajak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-sajak/)

> [“That casual glance was the beginning of a cataclysm of love that had still not ended half a century later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/that-casual-glance-was-the-beginning-of-a-cataclysm-of-love-that-had/)

[Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/)

> [“Here we are, a quarter of a century later,” declared Clark, “with the same Allies as before, fighting the same mad dogs that were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kershaw/here-we-are-a-quarter-of-a-century-later-declared-clark-with-the-same/)

[Alex Kershaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kershaw/)

> [The nature of the state is one thing, but there are other major challenges - what it will take to tackle the issues of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/the-nature-of-the-state-is-one-thing-but-there-are-other-major/)

[Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/)

> [In my book, the Arab Awakening, I talk about the fact that we have to move from this. All the contemporary ideologies of political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/in-my-book-the-arab-awakening-i-talk-about-the-fact-that-we-have-to/)

[Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/)

> [When people get frustrated, it's when they feel they are living in a context that deprives them of dignity, deprives them of justice and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/when-people-get-frustrated-it-s-when-they-feel-they-are-living-in-a/)

[Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/)

> [There is a connection between energy, climate, food and political stability. That has played out in the Arab awakening and is not done playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/there-is-a-connection-between-energy-climate-food-and-political/)

[Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/)

> [I think we are making a mistake, a very big mistake if we look at what we call the Arab Awakening only by looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/i-think-we-are-making-a-mistake-a-very-big-mistake-if-we-look-at-what/)

[Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/)

> [The question about the Salafi is an important question as I say in Arab Awakening, and have often repeated since. I am really underlining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/the-question-about-the-salafi-is-an-important-question-as-i-say-in/)

[Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/)

## More by Elliott Abrams

> [President Obama has never summarized the Obama Doctrine with such clarity, but here is what it would look like: 'I will undertake any military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/president-obama-has-never-summarized-the-obama-doctrine-with-such/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

> [The story of the Jews in the Bible is replete with incidents of their ingratitude to God for His gifts to them: incidents that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-story-of-the-jews-in-the-bible-is-replete-with-incidents-of-their/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

> [From its earliest days in the nineteenth century, and until the Holocaust, the Orthodox rabbinate in eastern Europe was not enthusiastic about the Zionist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/from-its-earliest-days-in-the-nineteenth-century-and-until-the/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

> [The Pope is not a political figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-pope-is-not-a-political-figure/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

> [Israel and the Palestinians had been at the table together for decades until the Obama/Mitchell/Rahm Emanuel decision to demand a total end to Israeli…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/israel-and-the-palestinians-had-been-at-the-table-together-for/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

> [Pundits are used to analyzing the gap between what our ideals suggest and what our security interests require.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/pundits-are-used-to-analyzing-the-gap-between-what-our-ideals-suggest/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

> [The Egyptian military and the government of Israel have long had a common interest in maintaining order and fighting terrorism in Sinai.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-egyptian-military-and-the-government-of-israel-have-long-had-a/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

> [In 2007, early in the improbable presidential candidacy of Barack Obama, the young first-term senator began a series of foreign-policy speeches that seemed too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/in-2007-early-in-the-improbable-presidential-candidacy-of-barack/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

> [Terrorists that kill Americans don't get released.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/terrorists-that-kill-americans-don-t-get-released/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

> [Refusing to lift sanctions and adopting tougher rhetoric toward Iran would not be partisan issues. Plenty of Democrats think that those actions are both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/refusing-to-lift-sanctions-and-adopting-tougher-rhetoric-toward-iran/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

> [At the height of the Cold War, when Ronald Reagan was president, the Soviets and their allies and satellites did not shirk human rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/at-the-height-of-the-cold-war-when-ronald-reagan-was-president-the/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

> [I personally would not talk to a Jew for Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/i-personally-would-not-talk-to-a-jew-for-jesus/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

> [When freedom of the press is threatened, the United States should be leading efforts to protect it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/when-freedom-of-the-press-is-threatened-the-united-states-should-be/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

> [Israel bombed the Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007. What the Syrians did in response, nothing. Israel has killed a number of terrorist leaders in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/israel-bombed-the-syrian-nuclear-reactor-in-2007-what-the-syrians-did/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

> [The mishandling of the would-be airplane bomber Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab's visa is only the latest piece of evidence that the granting of visas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/the-mishandling-of-the-would-be-airplane-bomber-umar-farouk-abdul/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

[Explore all 226 Elliott Abrams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

Browse all 26,122 About quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "History may someday record that the Arab awakening that began with the Arab revolt of 1916 against the Ottomans ended about a century later with a whimper.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Elliott Abrams"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab-awakening-that-began-with/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab-awakening-that-began-with/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/elliott-abrams-1577_about_history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab_72950.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/elliott-abrams-1577_about_history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab_72950.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/elliott-abrams-1577_about_history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab_72950.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“History may someday record that the Arab awakening that began with the Arab revolt of 1916 against the…” — Elliott Abrams",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Elliott Abrams",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "History may someday record that the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab-awakening-that-began-with/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab-awakening-that-began-with/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
