rajpurkar/squad huggingface dataset:
Title: Near_East

If the British Empire was now going to side with the Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire had no choice but to cultivate a relationship with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which was supported by the German Empire. In a few years these alignments became the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance (already formed in 1882), which were in part a cause of World War I. By its end in 1918 three empires were gone, a fourth was about to fall to revolution, and two more, the British and French, were forced to yield in revolutions started under the aegis of their own ideologies.

Question: The Ottoman Empire had no choice but to develop their relationship with what country?
Answer: Austro-Hungarian Empire

Question: Who supported the Austro-Hungarian Empire?
Answer: the German Empire

Question: Who did the British Empire side with?
Answer: the Russian Empire

Question: The formation of the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance partly caused what?
Answer: World War I

Question: By what year were three empires gone? 
Answer: 1918
Title: Near_East

By 1916, when millions of Europeans were becoming casualties of imperial war in the trenches of eastern and western Europe over "the eastern question," Arnold J. Toynbee, Hegelesque historian of civilization at large, was becoming metaphysical about the Near East. Geography alone was not a sufficient explanation of the terms, he believed. If the Ottoman Empire had been a sick man, then:

Question: What year was Arnold J toynbee becoming metaphysical about the Near East?
Answer: 1916

Question: Who was the Hegelesque historian of civilization?
Answer: Arnold J. Toynbee

Question: Arnold J Toynbee believed what?
Answer: Geography alone was not a sufficient explanation of the terms
Title: Near_East

From the death of the Near East new nations were able to rise from the ashes, notably the Republic of Turkey. Paradoxically it now aligned itself with the west rather than with the east. Mustafa Kemal, its founder, a former Ottoman high-ranking officer, was insistent on this social revolution, which, among other changes, liberated women from the strait rules still in effect in most Arabic-speaking countries. The demise of the political Near East now left a gap where it had been, into which stepped the Middle East.

Question: What was able to rise from the death of the Near East?
Answer: new nations

Question: What notable nation was able to rise from the ashes of the Near East?
Answer: the Republic of Turkey

Question: How did the Republic of Turkey align themselves?
Answer: with the west

Question: Who was the founder of the Republic of Turkey?
Answer: Mustafa Kemal

Question: Who was a former Ottoman high-ranking officer?
Answer: Mustafa Kemal
Title: Near_East

The term middle east as a noun and adjective was common in the 19th century in nearly every context except diplomacy and archaeology. An uncountable number of places appear to have had their middle easts from gardens to regions, including the United States. The innovation of the term "Near East" to mean the holdings of the Ottoman Empire as early as the Crimean War had left a geographical gap. The East Indies, or "Far East," derived ultimately from Ptolemy's "India Beyond the Ganges." The Ottoman Empire ended at the eastern border of Iraq. "India This Side of the Ganges" and Iran had been omitted. The archaeologists counted Iran as "the Near East" because Old Persian cuneiform had been found there. This usage did not sit well with the diplomats; India was left in an equivocal state. They needed a regional term.

Question: When was the term middle east common as a noun and adjective?
Answer: the 19th century

Question: The middle east was not common in diplomacy and what other context?
Answer: archaeology

Question: Where did the "Far East" derive from? 
Answer: Ptolemy's "India Beyond the Ganges."

Question: Where did the Ottoman Empire end?
Answer: the eastern border of Iraq

Question: Why did archaeologists count Iran as "The Near East"?
Answer: because Old Persian cuneiform had been found there
Title: Near_East

The use of the term Middle East as a region of international affairs apparently began in British and American diplomatic circles quite independently of each other over concern for the security of the same country: Iran, then known to the west as Persia. In 1900 Thomas Edward Gordon published an article, The Problem of the Middle East, which began:

Question: Where did the use of the term Middle East as a region of international affairs begin?
Answer: in British and American diplomatic circles

Question: What was Iran known as to the west?
Answer: Persia

Question: When did Thomas Edward Gordon publish "The Problem of the Middle East"?
Answer: 1900

Question: What article did Thomas Edward Gordon publish?
Answer: The Problem of the Middle East

Question: The problem of the Middle East was published by who?
Answer: Thomas Edward Gordon
Title: Near_East

The threat that caused Gordon, diplomat and military officer, to publish the article was resumption of work on a railway from Russia to the Persian Gulf. Gordon, a published author, had not used the term previously, but he was to use it from then on.

Question: What threat caused Gordon to publish his article?
Answer: resumption of work on a railway

Question: Who was a diplomat and military officer?
Answer: Gordon

Question: Who had not used the term middle east previously in publications?
Answer: Gordon
Title: Near_East

A second strategic personality from American diplomatic and military circles, Alfred Thayer Mahan, concerned about the naval vulnerability of the trade routes in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean, commented in 1902:

Question: Who was a member of American diplomatic and military circles?
Answer: Alfred Thayer Mahan

Question: What was Alfred Thayer Mahan concerned about?
Answer: the naval vulnerability of the trade routes

Question: When did Alfred Thayer Mahan comment on the trade routes?
Answer: 1902
Title: Near_East

Apparently the sailor did not connect with the soldier, as Mahan believed he was innovating the term Middle East. It was, however, already there to be seen.

Question: Who did not connect with the soldier?
Answer: the sailor

Question: What did Mahan believe he was innovating?
Answer: the term Middle East

Question: What had already been there to be seen?
Answer: the term Middle East
Title: Near_East

Until the period following World War I the Near East and the Middle East coexisted, but they were not always seen as distinct. Bertram Lenox Simpson, a colonial officer killed eventually in China, uses the terms together in his 1910 book, The Conflict of Color, as "the Near and Middle East." The total super-region consisted of "India, Afghanistan, Persia, Arabistan, Asia Minor, and last, but not least, Egypt." Simpson (under his pen-name, Weale) explains that this entire region "is politically one region – in spite of the divisions into which it is academically divided." His own term revives "the Nearer East" as opposed to "the Far East."

Question: The Near East and the Middle East coexisted until what period?
Answer: the period following World War I

Question: Who was the colonial officer killed in China?
Answer: Bertram Lenox Simpson

Question: Who wrote the 1910 book 'The Conflict of Color'?
Answer: Bertram Lenox Simpson

Question: What was Simpson's pen-name?
Answer: Weale
Title: Near_East

The basis of Simpson's unity is color and colonial subjection. His color chart recognizes a spectrum of black, brown and yellow, which at the time had been traditional since the late 19th century. Apart from these was "the great white race", which the moderate Simpson tones down to simply the white race. The great whites were appearing as late as the 1920s works of James Henry Breasted, which were taught as the gospel of ancient history throughout the entire first half of the 20th century. A red wavelength was mainly of interest in America. The eastern question was modified by Simpson to "The Problem of the Nearer East," which had nothing to do with the Ottomans but everything to do with British colonialism. Simpson wrote of the white man:

Question: What is the basis of Simpson's unity?
Answer: color and colonial subjection

Question: The great whites were appearing as late as what time?
Answer: the 1920s

Question: In whose works were the great whites appearing?
Answer: James Henry Breasted

Question: What was mainly of interest in America?
Answer: A red wavelength
Title: Near_East

These regions were occupied by "the brown men," with the yellow in the Far East and the black in Africa. The color issue was not settled until Kenya became independent in 1963, ending the last vestige of the British Empire.

Question: These regions were occupied by who?
Answer: the brown men

Question: Where where the yellow?
Answer: the Far East

Question: Where were the black?
Answer: Africa

Question: When did Kenya become independent?
Answer: 1963

Question: The color issue was not settled until when?
Answer: Kenya became independent
Title: Near_East

This view reveals a somewhat less than altruistic Christian intent of the British Empire; however, it was paradoxical from the beginning, as Simpson and most other writers pointed out. The Ottomans were portrayed as the slavers, but even as the American and British fleets were striking at the Barbary pirates on behalf of freedom, their countries were promulgating a vigorous African slave trade of their own. Charles George Gordon is known as the saint of all British colonial officers. A dedicated Christian, he spent his time between assignments living among the poor and donating his salary on their behalf. He won Ottoman confidence as a junior officer in the Crimean War. In his later career he became a high official in the Ottoman Empire, working as Governor of Egypt for the Ottoman khedive for the purpose of conducting campaigns against slavers and slavery in Egypt and the Sudan.

Question: The Ottomans were portrayed as what?
Answer: the slavers

Question: Who is known as the saint of all British colonial officers?
Answer: Charles George Gordon

Question: What did Charles George Gordon spend his time between?
Answer: assignments living among the poor and donating his salary

Question: When did he win Ottoman confidence?
Answer: as a junior officer in the Crimean War

Question: What did he become in his later career?
Answer: a high official in the Ottoman Empire
Title: Near_East

The term "Near and Middle East," held the stage for a few years before World War I. It proved to be less acceptable to a colonial point of view that saw the entire region as one. In 1916 Captain T.C. Fowle, 40th Pathans (troops of British India), wrote of a trip he had taken from Karachi to Syria just before the war. The book does not contain a single instance of "Near East." Instead, the entire region is considered "the Middle East." The formerly Near Eastern sections of his trip are now "Turkish" and not Ottoman.

Question: When did the term "Near and Middle East" hold stage?
Answer: a few years before World War I

Question: What proved to be less acceptable to a colonial point of view?
Answer: The term "Near and Middle East,"

Question: When did Captain T.C. Fowle write of a trip he had taken from Karachi to Syria?
Answer: 1916

Question: Who were the 40th Pathans?
Answer: (troops of British India

Question: In the book Fowle wrote, what is the entire region considered?
Answer: "the Middle East.
Title: Near_East

Subsequently with the disgrace of "Near East" in diplomatic and military circles, "Middle East" prevailed. However, "Near East" continues in some circles at the discretion of the defining agency or academic department. They are not generally considered distinct regions as they were at their original definition.

Question: What prevailed with the disgrace of "Near East"?
Answer: "Middle East"

Question: What continues in some circles at the discretion of the defining agency or academic department?
Answer: Near East

Question: What term was disgraced in diplomatic and military circles?
Answer: Near East
Title: Near_East

Although racial and colonial definitions of the Middle East are no longer considered ideologically sound, the sentiment of unity persists. For much, but by no means all, of the Middle East, the predominance of Islam lends some unity, as does the transient accident of geographical continuity. Otherwise there is but little basis except for history and convention to lump together peoples of multiple, often unrelated languages, governments, loyalties and customs.

Question: What sentiment persists even though racial and colonial definitions of the Middle East are no longer ideologically sound?
Answer: sentiment of unity

Question: What definitions of the Middle East are no longer ideologically sound?
Answer: racial and colonial definitions

Question: What are racial and colonial definitions of the Middle East considered?
Answer: no longer considered ideologically sound
Title: Near_East

In the 20th century after decades of intense warfare and political turmoil terms such as "Near East", "Far East" and "Middle East" were relegated to the experts, especially in the new field of political science. The new wave of diplomats often came from those programs. Archaeology on the international scene, although very much of intellectual interest to the major universities, fell into the shadow of international relations. Their domain became the Ancient Near East, which could no longer be relied upon to be the Near East. The Ottoman Empire was gone, along with all the other empires of the 19th century, replaced with independent republics. Someone had to reconcile the present with the past. This duty was inherited by various specialized agencies that were formed to handle specific aspects of international relations, now so complex as to be beyond the scope and abilities of a diplomatic corps in the former sense. The ancient Near East is frozen in time. The living Near East is primarily what the agencies say it is. In most cases this single term is inadequate to describe the geographical range of their operations. The result is multiple definitions.

Question: When were terms such as "Near East", "Far East", and "Middle East" relegated to the experts?
Answer: the 20th century

Question: Where did the new wave of diplomats often come from?
Answer: the new field of political science

Question: Where did archaeology on the international scene fall into?
Answer: the shadow of international relations

Question: What replaced the fallen empires of the 19th century?
Answer: independent republics
Title: Near_East

The United States is the chief remaining nation to assign official responsibilities to a region called the Near East. Within the government the State Department has been most influential in promulgating the Near Eastern regional system. The countries of the former empires of the 19th century have in general abandoned the term and the subdivision in favor of Middle East, North Africa and various forms of Asia. In many cases, such as France, no distinct regional substructures have been employed. Each country has its own French diplomatic apparatus, although regional terms, including Proche-Orient and Moyen-Orient, may be used in a descriptive sense. The most influential agencies in the United States still using Near East as a working concept are as follows.

Question: What is the chief remaining nation to assign official responsibilities to a region called the Near East?
Answer: The United States

Question: What has the state department been most influential in promulgating?
Answer: the Near Eastern regional system

Question: Who has abandoned the term Near East?
Answer: The countries of the former empires of the 19th century
Title: Near_East

The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, a division of the United States Department of State, is perhaps the most influential agency to still use the term Near East. Under the Secretary of State, it implements the official diplomacy of the United States, called also statecraft by Secretary Clinton. The name of the bureau is traditional and historic. There is, however, no distinct Middle East. All official Middle Eastern affairs are referred to this bureau.

Question: The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs is a division of what?
Answer: the United States Department of State

Question: What is perhaps the most influential agency to still use the term Near East?
Answer: The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs

Question: Secretary Clinton also calls the implementation of official diplomacy of the United States what?
Answer: statecraft
Title: Near_East

Working closely in conjunction with the definition of the Near East provided by the State Department is the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA), an educational institution of the United States Department of Defense. It teaches courses and holds seminars and workshops for government officials and military officers who will work or are working within its region. As the name indicates, that region is a combination of State Department regions; however, NESA is careful to identify the State Department region. As its Near East is not different from the State Department's it does not appear in the table. Its name, however, is not entirely accurate. For example, its region includes Mauritania, a member of the State Department's Africa (Sub-Sahara).

Question: Who works closely with the definition of the Near East?
Answer: the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA)

Question: What is NESA?
Answer: an educational institution of the United States Department of Defense

Question: What does NESA Teach?
Answer: It teaches courses and holds seminars and workshops
Title: Near_East

The Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) is a non-profit organization for research and advice on Middle Eastern policy. It regards its target countries as the Middle East but adopts the convention of calling them the Near East to be in conformance with the practices of the State Department. Its views are independent. The WINEP bundles the countries of Northwest Africa together under "North Africa." Details can be found in Policy Focus #65.

Question: What is WINEP?
Answer: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Question: What is WINEPS target countries as?
Answer: the Middle East

Question: How does WINEP bundle the countries of Northwest Africa?
Answer: under "North Africa."
Title: Near_East

The Library of Congress (LoC) is an institution established by Congress to provide a research library for the government of the United States and serve as a national library. It is under the supervision of the United States Congress Joint Committee on the Library and the Librarian of Congress. The Near East is a separate topic and subdivision of the African and Middle Eastern division. The Middle East contains a Hebraic section consisting of only Israel for a country, but including eleven modern and ancient languages relating to Judaism, such as Yiddish, a European pidgin language. The Near East is otherwise nearly identical to the Middle East, except that it extends partly into Central Asia and the Caucasus, regions that the State Department considers to be in Asia.

Question: What does LoC stand for?
Answer: The Library of Congress

Question: What is the Library of Congress?
Answer: an institution established by Congress to provide a research library for the government

Question: The Library of Congress is under whose supervision?
Answer: the United States Congress Joint Committee on the Library
Title: Near_East

The United Nations formulates multiple regional divisions as is convenient for its various operations. But few of them include a Near East, and that poorly defined. UNICEF recognizes the "Middle East and North Africa" region, where the Middle East is bounded by the Red Sea on the west and includes Iran on the east. UNESCO recognizes neither a Near East nor a Middle East, dividing the countries instead among three regions: Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, and Africa. Its division "does not forcibly reflect geography" but "refers to the execution of regional activities." The United Nations Statistics Division defines Western Asia to contain the countries included elsewhere in the Middle East. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) describes its entire theatre of operations as the Near East, but then assigns many of its members to other regions as well; for example, Cyprus, Malta and Turkey are in both the European and the Near Eastern regions. Its total area extends further into Central Asia than that of most agencies.

Question: Who formulates multiple regional divisions as is convenient for its various operations?
Answer: The United Nations

Question: Who recognizes the "Middle East and North Africa" region?
Answer: UNICEF

Question: The United Nations Statistics Division defines Western Asia to contain what?
Answer: the countries included elsewhere in the Middle East

Question: The Food and Agriculture Organization describes its entire theater of operations as what?
Answer: the Near East
Title: Near_East

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is a quasi-independent agency of the United States Government. It appears to have multiple leadership. On the one hand its director is appointed by the president. It plays a significant role in providing the president with intelligence. On the other hand, Congress oversees its operations through a committee. The CIA was first formed under the National Security Act of 1947 from the army's Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which furnished both military intelligence and clandestine military operations to the army during the crisis of World War II. Many revisions and redefinitions have taken place since then. Although the name of the CIA reflects the original advised intent of Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, the government's needs for strategic services have frustrated that intent from the beginning. The press received by the agency in countless articles, novels and other media have tended to create various popular myths; for example, that this agency replaced any intelligence effort other than that of the OSS, or that it contains the central intelligence capability of the United States. Strategic services are officially provided by some 17 agencies called the Intelligence Community. Army intelligence did not come to an end; in fact, all the branches of the Armed Forces retained their intelligence services. This community is currently under the leadership (in addition to all its other leadership) of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Question: What is a quasi-independent agency of the United States Government?
Answer: The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Question: The CIA appears to have what?
Answer: multiple leadership

Question: Who appoints the director of the CIA?
Answer: the president

Question: Who oversees the operations of the CIA?
Answer: Congress
Title: Near_East

Under these complex circumstances regional names are less useful. They are more historical than an accurate gauge of operations. The Directorate of Intelligence, one of four directorates into which the CIA is divided, includes the Office of Near Eastern and South Asian Analysis (NESA). Its duties are defined as "support on Middle Eastern and North African countries, as well as on the South Asian nations of India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan." The total range of countries is in fact the same as the State Department's Near East, but the names do not correspond. The Near East of the NESA is the same as the Middle East defined in the CIA-published on-line resource, The World Factbook. Its list of countries is limited by the Red Sea, comprises the entire eastern coast of the Mediterranean, including Israel, Turkey, the small nations of the Caucasus, Iran and the states of the Arabian Peninsula.

Question: The Near East of the NESA is the same as the Middle East define in what?
Answer: The World Factbook

Question: What does NESA stand for?
Answer: Near Eastern and South Asian Analysis

Question: Whose duties are defined as "support on Middle Eastern and North African countries?"
Answer: (NESA)