In July 1952, the Egyptian government, headed by King Farouk, was overthrown in a bloodless coup led by the Free Officers, soon to be known as the Egyptian Revolutionary Command Council (RCC). The revolution was ostensibly led by Muhammad Naguib but it was clear that he was a mere figurehead and in a little over two years, Gamal Abdel Nasser would assume the Presidency. Although the goals of the RCC were somewhat unclear at the start, Nasser would embark on a policy of creating an independent Egypt free from internal and external domination. It was the latter goal that would set Nasser on a collision course with the West, initially Great Britain and to a lesser extent France, but eventually the United States. As such, Nasser’s commitment …show more content…
Accordingly, the United States, in the midst of their conflict in Korea, could not have been more pleased. As Great Britain’s power in the Middle East was waning, the contest between the United States and the Soviet Union increased in order to fill the vacuum of power left by the slowly-vacating British. Immediately upon seizing power, the RCC showed a willingness to brutally suppress domestic communist activities. According to Yaqub: The Truman administration was enthusiastic about the new regime…The new government expressed a desire for friendly relations with the United States and cracked down on communist activists who had taken part in the anti-British disturbances, prompting Moscow to denounce the regime as reactionary.
The revolutionary regime in Egypt appeared to fulfill US aspirations in the Middle East in a sense that it was sufficiently opposed to communism and at the same time appeared to have generated popular sympathy. When in the fall of 1954 Nasser stated his willingness to align with the west while seeing the USSR as the only real threat to Egypt’s independence, the United States responded by providing propaganda for Nasser’s regime in Egypt and the Arab world. The appearance of solidarity, however, was soon to be tested.
Furthermore, Egypt then gained its independence in 1922, it being granted by the British; but the much of the British remained in the northern region of Egypt and in the duration of World War II, Egypt and the Suez Canal were fundamental connections in the empire of Britain. A government was then under king Farouk in 1936 but the government was very inefficient and corrupt. Egypt was not very happy with Britain’s control of the Suez Canal. In the year of 1952, army officers commenced a revolution to overthrow King Farouk and in 1953 a republic was established in Egypt. The leader of this revolution was Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser and became the
Both the ideologies of the United States and the Soviets were unchanging and unwilling to compromise. Given the Soviets recent advances like obtaining “the bomb” and Mao Tse-tung’s victory for communist china, Americans were beginning to conclude that something had to be done. Victory was the only option. This belief can be echoed by the fact that neither President Truman or Secretary Acheson were willing to give in to appeasement. Acheson announced that the U.S would not “pull down the blinds and sit in the parlor with a loaded shotgun, waiting.”
The role of the Middle East has been very crucial to the United States, especially after WWII. The U.S. had three strategic goals in the Middle East and consistently followed them throughout various events that unfolded in the region. First, with the emergence of the cold war between the Soviet Union and the U.S., policymakers began to recognize the importance of the Middle East as a strategic area in containing Soviet influence. This also coincides with the U.S. becoming increasingly wary of Arab nationalism and the threat it posed to U.S. influence. Secondly, the emergence of the new Israeli state in 1948 further deepened U.S. policy and involvement in the region while also creating friction between the U.S. and Arab states which were
Many of the policies implemented during Truman’s administration were provoking in the minds of the Soviets. And Americans would have probably been less fearful if President Truman hadn’t emphasized Communism as such a big threat. He installed fear in the minds of the citizens and other officials. Maybe not a fear of any tangible threat communism posed but the simple idea of being taken over, from abroad and
As the Soviet Union continued to spread communism throughout the eastern part of the globe, the United States was determined to contain the economic ideology and prevent it from reaching the States by any means possible. The American’s fear of communism prompted changes in domestic policy, most notably with the attempt to remove power from anyone with communist ties and the platform to influence others. Document one, a passage from one of President Truman’s executive order signed in
Tension built up with countries that practiced communism just as the U.S. expected but not to the level it did. The leader of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev delivered a speech claiming that the United States is attempting to take over the world. In her speech she says “‘Today the anti-communism” slogan is being used as a smoke screen to cover up the claims of one power for world domination.” (Document G, Khrushchev, 1956) Nikita Khrushchev was trying to convince countries to deny the
In order to deal with the postwar tension between the U.S. and Soviet Union, President Truman, who had only recently became president and lacked experience, implemented a new foreign policy to deal with the Soviet Union. (pg. 1006) As illustrated in the primary source titled “The Truman Doctrine,” The Truman Doctrine outlined America’s foreign policy related to the Soviet Union around a declaration of “war on communism, [the Soviet Union’s ideology that clashed against the U.S.’s], everywhere.” (pg. 1006, Truman Doctrine) Truman intended to implement “containment,” in which the spread of communism would be stopped. (pg. 1032) This declaration officially began the Cold War, a conflict that despite involving no actual direct warfare, devastated the relationship between the two countries. (pg. 1001) Many Soviet and American beliefs clashed with each other. (pg. 1022) For instance, American and Soviet views on individual liberties, religious freedom, human rights,
Amongst the turbid and dysfunction that is the Middle East lies the nation of Egypt. Egypt, a major country of the Middle East, is habitually considered stereotypical of Middle Eastern civilization, but further research guides one to the conclusion that Egypt is far from a generic Middle Eastern country. Egypt has a strong tradition of nationalism that has been formed during its history, giving it a national unity that is often non-existent in other Middle Eastern nations (1). This, as well as other advantages that Egypt has gained during its past, has allowed it to rise above the problems plaguing the rest of the Middle East and to form basically its
In the early phase of the Cold War, both superpowers, the US and the USSR, had to face the threat of rising tensions and rivalries between each other. They wanted to prevent the expansion of hostile ideologies and simultaneously act in favour of their own interests. Such desires, in the example of the US, resulted in the establishment and subsequent development of the policies of containment and brinkmanship. Generally, the former was operating on the principle that communist governments will eventually fall apart as long as they are prevented from expanding their influence and it was adopted by H.S. Truman’s administration in 1947. While the
The United States and Communist Russia endured a complicated relationship in the first half of the 20th century. In the early 1940’s the U.S. had encouraged an alliance with the Soviets against their common enemy, Nazi Germany. This short-lived accord began to deteriorate as WW II ended. By 1947 U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union had shifted from one of cooperation to a policy of containment. In 1949, when the Soviets tested their first atomic bomb, it was a widely-held belief in the U.S. that the Russians were an untrustworthy enemy with plans to invade the United States. America’s mood turned on American Communists, labeling them traitors and Russian spies. Underlying a domestic sense of well-being in the United States in the 1950’s
The Russians tested out Truman’s stance on Communism's with the Berlin Blockade. Truman respond positively with the Berlin airlift and still continues to to deliver goods to the town. Russia knew we were not going to give up and sent spies to retrieve information. Our secrets about having an atomic bomb got out and they hurried to develop one themselves. They then talked China into becoming communist and were sending more spies into the Country to get information.
After defeating Hitler, the US and the Soviet Union started to argue over Eastern Europe, especially Poland. Stalin insisted that friendly communist governments must be installed on the Soviet borders, Stalin broke his Yalta promise to allow free elections and saw to it that communist regimes came to power in Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania. President Truman didn’t accept that, Soviet domination of Eastern Europe would violate the principles of national self-determination that the US had spoken about at the Atlantic Charter and Yalta Declaration. Truman believed that the spread of communism threaten American economic interests in Europe and elsewhere. Opposition to Soviet intervention was a popular opinion in the states with
Background: In the midst of the Cold War and the Arab-Israeli conflict, conflict arose over Gamal Abdel Nasser’s nationalization of the Suez Canal. This was of particular concern due to Nasser’s increased connection with the Soviet Union, through the Czech Arms agreement and the Aswan Dam. Following Nasser’s nationalization of the Suez Canal, Great Britain, France, and Israel invaded Egypt. In facing this crisis, the U.S. had to consider Cold War politics with the Soviet Union, relations with Arab and Israeli nations, and relations with the invading powers
The aims of the British to assume power over Egypt many centuries ago has influenced how the East perceives the West, and how this has led to the eastern communities’ response to colonialism as a whole. This hierarchical approach led the way to British dominance, and the loss of identity for Egypt. The more control taken by the British, the more British Egypt became. The whole issue of colonialism was formed around the Western idea of power, money and business and the need to accumulate wealth. Traditional responses to colonialism can be seen within Palace Walk (1991). Firstly the response of Ahmed was to support the nationalist movement by payments to the cause. However, Ahmed did assume that his time was
Also, with regards to foreign policy, Egypt continues to emphasize the need for an effective and influential role for itself at both the regional and international levels. The authorities believe in having important synergies in the economic and political realms with the different countries of the Arab World. Relations have been strong with the EU owing