Historically speaking the Middle East was a rival to European powers, colonizing and occupying parts of Europe. Today however the Middle East is not that close to as developed as Europe. What the heck happened to Europeans greatest rival?
How did the Middle East end up being so fucked up? And has it always been this destructive? written by u/i_like_jam talks about this.
A more recent look at Afghanistan's history: How did Afghanistan go from being relatively stable 50-60 years ago to the constantly-devolving mess it is today? written by u/SuperKamiGuru1994
Much has been written on the current instability in the Middle East, with some pundits claiming the region was best left under imperial control a la the Ottoman Empire. Just how stable was the Middle East under the Ottomans in comparison to contemporary history as independent states? has u/i_like_jam talking about a different approach