The Middle East - Asset or Liability to Britain after 1945?: An essay (English Edition) [Kindle-editie] beoordelingen het boek quotes

The Middle East was understood as a cornerstone of British imperial ideology, and it is this notion of an ideological hold on the region that was dominant for Britain’s approach to it after World War Two. The underlying thesis of this essay is that the Middle East was both an asset and a liability for Britain; and that there existed, or even still exists, a dynamic relationship between the two: Because the Middle East was an asset, it also became a liability. The key to this apparent contradiction is found in the motives of British foreign policy making that are explored here as they are understood to be crucial for the question. While the thesis of the essay is valid from 1945 up to today the focus lies on the years between 1945 and 1961 as they are understood as the era of greatest British involvement in the Middle East.