• Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • About
  • Contact

Cold War

Before, During, and After the Cold War

  • Podcast
  • Red Scare
  • Cuba
  • Iran
  • Urbanization
  • Spy
  • Afghanistan
  • Taiwan
  • Vietnam
  • Timelines

SUPERPOWER INTERVENTION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

May 25, 2010 by Lisa Reynolds Wolfe

After the debacle in Egypt, and unsettled by what it considered its greatest foreign policy error since World War II, Washington shifted more and more of its energies to fighting the Cold War in the Third World.

In the Soviet Union Khruschev brought about changes that allowed his government to exploit opportunities with the newly emerging nations.

For both nations the Middle East was the top priority.

From 1955 through 1968, the Soviet Union provided nearly $3 billion in military aid to the region.

Moscow had several objectives, including a need to access warm water ports on the open sea, a desire to limit Western access to the region’s oil resources, and a determination to eliminate Western influence by destroying alliances, particularly the Baghdad Pact of 1955, the CENTO Pact of 1956, and the more loosely aligned Islamic Alliance of 1966.

As a first step, the Soviets increased their appeal to Arab nationalism, portraying Israel as an instrument of Western imperialism and the United States as a neocolonialist power.

La Feber says that Moscow also “fanned local arms races … between revolutionary and moderate Arab, and between Algeria and Morocco, thereby undermining American efforts.”

The United States provided roughly the same level of assistance as did the Soviets, representing itself as a guardian of stability in the region despite the fact that it was chiefly concerned with protecting Western interests against Soviet overtures.

Western interests were important since, at that time, the Middle East provided 80 percent of Western Europe’s oil supply and contained more than three-fifths of the world’s proven oil reserves, in addition to its proximity to NATO’s southern flank.

As arms flowed into the Middle East, Iran’s concern over issues relating to regional security intensified.

In Iran, the shah’s perception of threat was also exacerbated by the magnitude of Soviet aid to neighboring Afghanistan who, for nearly nine years (1946 – 1955), had unsuccessfully sought American aid and support.

When the United States ultimately made clear its commitment to Pakistan and its unwillingness to commit itself comparably to Afghanistan, the country became the first Cold War recipient of Soviet economic credits.

By 1964 the buffer state received the highest per capita assistance of any nation under the Kremlin’s economic umbrella. This knowledge propelled a defense build-up in Iran and Pakistan.

Filed Under: Middle East

About Lisa Reynolds Wolfe

Widely published, Lisa holds a Ph.D. in Politics from New York University and a Master of Science in Policy Analysis and Public Management from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Areas of particular interest and expertise include Cold War Studies, sustainable development, heritage, and the environment.

Follow Us On Twitter

Cold War Studies Follow

A Cold War historian, Lisa holds a Ph.D. in Politics from New York University and a MS in Policy Analysis and Public Management from SUNY Stony Brook.

Avatar
Avatar Cold War Studies @coldwarstudies ·
17h

Check out this article from @nytimes. Because I'm a subscriber, you can read it through this gift link without a subscription. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/27/opinion/sunday/knitting-fabric-michelle-obama.html?unlocked_article_code=1ew_IOkoQKL6pwCvaRQwqw7kaWYxQwBmX4RM8ZwtFdZYqpOghTnXUxbK7NmSwILpgVkTsehpl3Au4GhqUs1-dQP4onemJRdEVXYlONemCl8eqaGxUhfyGFeV0mwhRgrGJBllB6l7bc09s40JuyYDCn-Pzj_QRnzJRPcBVqRfaOwmRVceyoxIxg3hjSG4aJC0jFK7rVqZ3d-HPGkCAInMKNtJNaRye6_h-msXKJWjY1ipfpuF4gvQQjACg6r618EQKLx4kY3mXwdfk4DYZAbtqtAoHTE9btePy6OljFN7QC_ZDdcEA_0JCp2Cqwlnrht_EQUuLBsVhjEs-doVEvBw0WJ9hFHqwu9kVp9GTguk1Q&smid=tw-share

Reply on Twitter 1619318960922714113 Retweet on Twitter 1619318960922714113 Like on Twitter 1619318960922714113 Twitter 1619318960922714113
Avatar Cold War Studies @coldwarstudies ·
25 Jan

Cold War Nuclear Bunker Lures Tourists Worried About New Threats https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/25/world/canada/diefenbunker-museum-ottawa.html?smid=tw-share

Reply on Twitter 1618235296033943554 Retweet on Twitter 1618235296033943554 Like on Twitter 1618235296033943554 Twitter 1618235296033943554
Avatar Cold War Studies @coldwarstudies ·
13 Jan

UWS Has Grown More Than Any Manhattan Nabe Since Pandemic: Study https://patch.com/new-york/upper-west-side-nyc/uws-has-grown-more-any-manhattan-nabe-pandemic-study?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=share

Reply on Twitter 1613907759782858752 Retweet on Twitter 1613907759782858752 Like on Twitter 1613907759782858752 Twitter 1613907759782858752
Avatar Cold War Studies @coldwarstudies ·
13 Jan

In Captain America Cold War: Steve and Sam https://www.theworkprint.com/in-captain-america-cold-war-steve-and-sam/123

Reply on Twitter 1613905207896772608 Retweet on Twitter 1613905207896772608 Like on Twitter 1613905207896772608 Twitter 1613905207896772608
Load More

Affiliate Disclosure

Cold War Studies is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn a small commission by advertising and linking to amazon.com. You never pay more if you puchase your Amazon product from one of our links. Thanks for supporting Cold War Studies!

 

How Much Do You Know About the Cold War?

Want to find out how much you really know about the Cold War. Click here to take our quiz. 

 

Most Popular Posts

Cold War Fashion: The Early Years (1950s-1960s)

History of Colonization in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Precursor to Cold War Conflict

Cold War Chile

The Rise of Fast Fashion: Globalization and Waste

The Red Scare

10 Little Known Facts About the Peace Sign

Immigration to the US During the Cold War

The First Red Scare: A Timeline

Korean War Music

Cold War Argentina: The Dirty War

The Cold War: Decolonization and Conflict in the Third World

Check Out Our Red Scare White Paper

Read all about the Red Scare. Just click on the cover below.

Copyright © 2023 · Metro Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in