The role of the great powers in the Middle East

Question 1

when did the US become the dominant power in the Middle East?

Answer 1

-after 1945

Question 2

why did the US become a dominant power in the ME?

Answer 2

-Second World War and the onset of the Cold War.
-millions of Jews and non-jews in the US supported Israel and meant that it was a distinct feature of the US’s foreign policy.
-in 1948 the US were the first country to recognise Israel as a state 11 minutes after its existence was proclaimed.

Question 3

why did the US hold a competing priorities?

Answer 3

-as well as wanting to support Israel they needed to contain the spread of Soviet communism.
-this meant they needed the support of Arab states in the region.
-were also wanting to be friendly due to oil as its allies in Europe and Japan were almost wholly dependent on oil from the Persian Gulf

Question 4

why did the US want to keep good relations with Nasser?

Answer 4

-it would be easier to maintain peace and stability in the region and support for Nasser might have curbed the appeal of communism

Question 5

how did the US upset Nasser? and what did he do in return?

Answer 5

-US refused to sell arms to Nasser.
-Nasser in return purchased Soviet arms from the Czechs in 1955 and recognised Communist China which the US refused to do.

Question 6

how did Eisenhower react to the Suez invasion by the French and British?

Answer 6

-he was furious and believed that nothing was more likely to drive the Egyptians into the Soviets arms.
-the US blocked financial aid to the British and gave their full support to the UN demand that they withdraw their troops.

Question 7

what did the US publish in 1957?

Answer 7

-The Eisenhower Doctrine.
-he asked Congress for support for a new security policy in the middle east and economic and military aid.

Question 8

how did the US ensure that the Arabs didn’t believe that they were too sympathetic and supportive of Israel?

Answer 8

-the Israels should be forced to withdraw from the Egyptian territory of the Sinai which they had captured in the Suez War.
-used the threat of sanctions to force the Israelis to leave Gaza and the Sinai in March 1957.

Question 9

when did the US’s Israel first approach become prominent?

Answer 9

-mid 1960’s onwards particularly after the 1967 war

Question 10

what were the reasons for the US’s pro-Israel policy?

Answer 10

-after the 1967 War it was felt in the US and the west that Israel had fought justifiably and well to achieve survival and there was little understanding of the Arab cause.
-the American Israel Public Affairs Committee was growing in power and influence and successfully lobbied Congressmen and raised huge financial support for Israel.
-end of the six day war, US didn’t force Israel to withdraw from the sinai as they had done previously and the US believed that Israeli superiority was the key to stability in the ME.

Question 11

how did America support Israel during the 1973 war? and why?

Answer 11

-supplied a huge amount of weaponry.
-due to them wanting to match the Soviets supply and please domestic opinion.

Question 12

why did Sadat move into the US camp after the 1973 war?

Answer 12

-the US convinced the Israelis to not attack Cairo or crush the Egyptian army in the Sinai
-Sadat knew that only the USA could prevail on the Israelis to withdraw from the Sinai.

Question 13

what were the Soviets objectives in the ME?

Answer 13

-defend and protect its southern border.
-advance the cause of international communism.

Question 14

how did the Soviets suffer a setback in the early 1950’s?

Answer 14

-both Turkey and Iran became firmly entrenched in the pro-west camp.

Question 15

how did the Soviets try to influence the Egyptians?

Answer 15

-through supplying them with weaponry with the Czech arms deal of 1955.
-through offering funds for the Aswan Dam when the US and Britain did not fund it.

Question 16

How did the UN help the suez crisis?

Answer 16

-acted quickly and decisively to end the fighting
-persuaded British and French troops to withdraw from the Canal Zone and it put together its first ever peacekeeping military force in the space of a week.
-the 6000 strong United Nations Emergency Force was made up of troops from ten states and arrived in Egypt just over two weeks after the outbreak of the fighting.
-they supervised the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops and monitored the Israeli Egyptian border.

Question 17

how were the soviets involved in the six day war?

Answer 17

-May 1967 the Soviet president told an Egyptian delegation in Moscow that Israel was concentrating troops on Syria’s border and planned an attack.
-Nasser sent a military figure to check and he confirmed that there were no Israeli troop concentrations.
-Nasser may have seen this as encouraging the Egyptians to move against Israel.

Question 18

what happened as a result of the soviets suggesting there were Israelis on the Syrian border?

Answer 18

-Nasser moved his troops into the Sinai taking the first steps which led to the outbreak of war.
-soviets suggested that they would stand by them, but later said that they would only act if US forces intervened and told Nasser to cool it down.

Question 19

what happened for the soviets as a result of the six day war?

Answer 19

-Soviet union suffered a huge blow to its prestige and credibility as they hadn’t prevented an Arab defeat.
-soviets still determined to maintain their military presence and started an immediate and massive supply of arms and 4000 advisers within a few months.
-they advised against the Arabs trying to regain their territories.

Question 20

when did the soviets increase military support to Egypt?

Answer 20

-1970
-agreed to take responsibility for Egypt’s air defence system and dispatched their advanced surface to surface missile systems to Egypt together with 15,000 advisers.
-most likely explanation is that they were worried for the survival of Nasser’s government with the Israeli bombing was designed to weaken.

Question 21

what did the Soviets and Egypt sign in 1971?

Answer 21

-May 1971 Treaty of friendship and cooperation with Egypt.
-this was because Sadat was showing signs of wanting to be much more independent than Nasser.

Question 22

what did Sadat do in July 1972?

Answer 22

-expel 20,000 Soviet advisers from Egypt as he wanted the year to be the year to break the stalemate with the Canal and he failed to secure the weaponry he sought.
-soviets resumed arms for the 1973 war.

Question 23

how did the UN successfully deal with the Suez Crisis of 1956?

Answer 23

-UN acted quickly and decisively to end the fighting and persuaded British and french to agree to withdraw their forces from the canal zone and put together United Nations Emergency Force within a week, and supervised the global withdrawal of Israeli troops and monitored the border.

Question 24

how long was the UN emergency force stationed in Egypt?

Answer 24

-1956 to 1967
-until Egypt asked for them to be withdrawn so Egypt could occupy certain positions ready for action against the Israelis, U Thant the secretary general for the UN agreed and within 24 hours all had left.

Question 25

what was resolution 242?

Answer 25

-UN called for a just and lasting peace in the middle East, very little peace was made but it did become the basic for the talks that led to the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty.

Question 26

how did the UN help end the 1973 war?

Answer 26

-UN was able to declare a ceasefire that was accepted by both Israelis and Arabs and then UN emergency force was stationed in the sinai and the Golan heights.

Question 27

what happened with the UN in 1974?

Answer 27

-invited Yasser Arafat leader of the PLO to recognise Israel.

Question 28

what did Arafat say during the un talk?

Answer 28

-‘i have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom fighters gun. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand’

Question 29

who did the west support during the Iran Iraq war and how?

Answer 29

-Iraq and all bitterly opposed to Iran’s new regime.
-for the US the thought of the revolutionary Iranians controlling so much of the oil in the Gulf terrified them as he might then be able to control oil prices and an Iranian victory might have led to a collapse of pro-western regimes in the Gulf.

Question 30

what sanctions did the UN place on Saddam and Iraq after invading Kuwait?

Answer 30

-complete trade sanctions against him, these were the most complete and effective sanctions ever imposed by the UN.
-withdraw from Kuwait by 15 Jan 1991 or face military force.

Question 31

what did Bush say about Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait?

Answer 31

-‘our jobs, our way of life, our own freedom and the freedom of friendly countries around the world would all suffer if control of the worlds oil reserves fell into the hands of Hussein’

Question 32

how did the US get involved in Husseins invasion of Kuwait?

Answer 32

-King of Saudi Arabia requested the US send forces to defend his country they were quick to oblige and over a few months there was a build up of forces.

Question 33

after the first gulf war what peace terms were imposed on Iraq by the UN?

Answer 33

-recognition of Kuwait’s sovereignty
-payment of reparations
-imposition of no-fly zones in the Kurdish North and the south.
-cooperation with UN to uncover and destroy weapons of Mass Destruction.
-agreement that trade sanctions would last until all WMD were found