What was the original purpose for the European partitioning of Middle Eastern lands

The ottoman empire spanned north Africa and the entire middle east. it was started in present day turkey. the ottoman empire was named for its first ruler Osman

A. European countries were trying to gain as much land as possible to become super powers in the world. B. European countries were going to mentor the Middle Eastern countries and guide them toward independence. C. Because Middle Eastern countries were constantly engaged in internal conflicts, European countries decided to step in and fix the problems. D. Because the United States was interested in dominating the Middle East, European countries decided to partition the land to prevent an American invasion.