Final answer:
Foreign domination after World War I significantly influenced the surge of nationalism in the Middle East. The division of the Ottoman Empire's territories by European powers without regard to local ethnicities and broken promises contributed to a collective desire for self-rule and identity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The growth of nationalism in the Middle East after the Great War was significantly influenced by foreign domination. Following the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the British and French carved up its former territories into mandated states, often disregarding ethnic and religious compositions. These arbitrary divisions, coupled with European geopolitical interests, especially in oil, and the betrayal of promises made during the war to Arab leaders, fostered a sense of nationalism among the people of the Middle East.
The legacy of World War I and the rise of nationalist sentiments were in part a reaction to the impositions of foreign powers on what many in the Middle East believed should be independent and self-determined nations. This sentiment was compounded by President Wilson's principle of self-determination, which was embraced by many groups within the fallen Ottoman Empire but subsequently ignored by the victorious European powers in practice.
Nationalism in the Middle East was therefore driven by a collective aspiration for self-rule and a strong sense of cultural and political identity, which was thwarted by external forces, leading to long-standing grievances and regional instability.