Great Powers
Successes/failures of Great Powers
Successful
Unsuccessful
Mixed
Strategic imperial aims
Britain
Early:
- 1916 Arab Revolt
Britain supported Arab Revolt by providing them with weapons because they wanted
to overthrow the Ottomans so that they will stop concentrating on their support for
Germany in WW1.
- 1916 Sykes-Picot agreement - France too
France + Britain secretly agreed to carve up Turkey’s Arab land. They would provide
an additional buffer zone in protecting the Suez Canal.
- Suez Canal - France too
Successful in protecting the canal in early period which was crucial in WW1 so Indian
troops could come to Europe.
- 1920 Iraq
uprose against Britain as they wanted Iraqi independence → Britain managed to
crush uprising but led to more opposition = Britain set up an Iraqi state which would
be independent but still tied to Britain
- 1923 Transjordan
Recognised independence but all troops remained under a British commander + its
foreign policy was to be guided by Britain.
- Saudi Arabia
Britain left Saudi Arabia alone as they thought they didn't have any oil, but
miscalculation as they are the country with the second highest oil reserves in the
world.
Middle:
- 1955 Baghdad Pact
Height of cold war British formed anti-soviet alliance with Turkey, Iran + Iraq BUT
Jordan, Lebanon + Syria didn't cause Nasser
- 1955 Czech arms deal - bad for US too
Nasser buy arms from Czech, thus throwing Western domination off.
- 1956 Suez Canal Crisis - France too
Nasser nationalised Canal + British attempt to retake it ended in embarrassment on
the world stage as they acted as imperialism leaders. BUT with the loss of the
Empire in the FE + India it mattered less.
Late:
- 2003 Iran-Iraq war
Invasion of Iraq was illegal = bitter relations with Arab nations.
, America
Middle:
- 1948 Israel
Established a reliable ally
- 1955 Czech Arms Deal
Nasser threw Western domination off but after death in 1970, US established good
relations with Egypt.
- 1956 Aswan Dam
US stopped funding Dam after Czech arms deal BUT USSR took over depicting they
were a dominant power.
- 1957 Eisenhower doctrine
Used to stop spread of communism, declared that US will protect any Arab states
that want their protection. 1958 US placed troops in Lebanon as President ask to
help them prevent attacks from communists.
Late:
- 1979 Iranian Revolution
maintained its security in the region despite the Iranian Revolution of 1979 which
threatened to spread fundamentalist Islam.
- 1987 Iran-Iraq War
success in securing shipping lanes for oil during Iran-Iraq war + maintaining Kuwaiti
independence with the first gulf war 1991
- 2003 Second Gulf War
Strategic interests cemented by working with states like SA + in overthrowing
Saddam Hussein = by the end of the period, US was the dominant power in the
region, prevented spread of communism.
USSR
Middle:
- 1946: only in Syria was the SU successful in developing an alliance with the Baathist
regime + Assad fam
- 1950: Did manage to gain influence on Egypt whilst Nasser ruled BUT not after death
- Czech Arms Deal 1955
- Aswan Dam 1956 → Due to the Czech arms deal the US stopped funding Nasser's
Aswan Dam project, however, it was the USSR who picked up this mantle in 1956
and conveys how the Soviets were the dominant power in Egyptian influence.
- 1970+ Egypt relations
Egypt and US had better relations as seen in Camp David 1978 + TofW 1979
Successes/failures of Great Powers
Successful
Unsuccessful
Mixed
Strategic imperial aims
Britain
Early:
- 1916 Arab Revolt
Britain supported Arab Revolt by providing them with weapons because they wanted
to overthrow the Ottomans so that they will stop concentrating on their support for
Germany in WW1.
- 1916 Sykes-Picot agreement - France too
France + Britain secretly agreed to carve up Turkey’s Arab land. They would provide
an additional buffer zone in protecting the Suez Canal.
- Suez Canal - France too
Successful in protecting the canal in early period which was crucial in WW1 so Indian
troops could come to Europe.
- 1920 Iraq
uprose against Britain as they wanted Iraqi independence → Britain managed to
crush uprising but led to more opposition = Britain set up an Iraqi state which would
be independent but still tied to Britain
- 1923 Transjordan
Recognised independence but all troops remained under a British commander + its
foreign policy was to be guided by Britain.
- Saudi Arabia
Britain left Saudi Arabia alone as they thought they didn't have any oil, but
miscalculation as they are the country with the second highest oil reserves in the
world.
Middle:
- 1955 Baghdad Pact
Height of cold war British formed anti-soviet alliance with Turkey, Iran + Iraq BUT
Jordan, Lebanon + Syria didn't cause Nasser
- 1955 Czech arms deal - bad for US too
Nasser buy arms from Czech, thus throwing Western domination off.
- 1956 Suez Canal Crisis - France too
Nasser nationalised Canal + British attempt to retake it ended in embarrassment on
the world stage as they acted as imperialism leaders. BUT with the loss of the
Empire in the FE + India it mattered less.
Late:
- 2003 Iran-Iraq war
Invasion of Iraq was illegal = bitter relations with Arab nations.
, America
Middle:
- 1948 Israel
Established a reliable ally
- 1955 Czech Arms Deal
Nasser threw Western domination off but after death in 1970, US established good
relations with Egypt.
- 1956 Aswan Dam
US stopped funding Dam after Czech arms deal BUT USSR took over depicting they
were a dominant power.
- 1957 Eisenhower doctrine
Used to stop spread of communism, declared that US will protect any Arab states
that want their protection. 1958 US placed troops in Lebanon as President ask to
help them prevent attacks from communists.
Late:
- 1979 Iranian Revolution
maintained its security in the region despite the Iranian Revolution of 1979 which
threatened to spread fundamentalist Islam.
- 1987 Iran-Iraq War
success in securing shipping lanes for oil during Iran-Iraq war + maintaining Kuwaiti
independence with the first gulf war 1991
- 2003 Second Gulf War
Strategic interests cemented by working with states like SA + in overthrowing
Saddam Hussein = by the end of the period, US was the dominant power in the
region, prevented spread of communism.
USSR
Middle:
- 1946: only in Syria was the SU successful in developing an alliance with the Baathist
regime + Assad fam
- 1950: Did manage to gain influence on Egypt whilst Nasser ruled BUT not after death
- Czech Arms Deal 1955
- Aswan Dam 1956 → Due to the Czech arms deal the US stopped funding Nasser's
Aswan Dam project, however, it was the USSR who picked up this mantle in 1956
and conveys how the Soviets were the dominant power in Egyptian influence.
- 1970+ Egypt relations
Egypt and US had better relations as seen in Camp David 1978 + TofW 1979
