Title: How did the Cold War affect the Middle East?
Headings: How did the Cold War affect the Middle East?
How did the Cold War affect the Middle East?
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Content: They disregarded the importance of powerful local actors in the region such as Nasser who’s influence as a political leader extended far beyond Egypt’s borders. This disposition framed the Eisenhower doctrine which aimed to provide military assistance to any country that was battling communism. Nasser perceived this doctrine as imperialism by other means and a disguise for the Western powers to become involved in the affairs of Arab states. The suspicion generated from this ‘accelerated the drive to attain Soviet assistance and to encourage a Soviet presence, in order to stop this new imperialism’ (Sayigh, Shlaim 2003, p.33). Inevitably, radical Arab nationalism had become identified in the US minds with international communism (Yapp 1991, p.415). The bipolarity of the international structure made Nasser, and subsequently other Arab states, turn towards the Soviet’s for assistance to counterbalance the US threat. Therefore, the United States and the Soviet Union were dependent on Nasser, his alliances and policy making to be in their favour as the recognize his value as a strategic regional ally due to his influence among Arab states. A direct consequence of the West perceiving regional conflicts such as the Suez war through a Cold War perspective is that it saw the rise of Nasser as the foremost political leader in the Middle East (Sayigh, Shlaim 2003, p.33). The nationalisation of the Suez Canal and the victory over the Anglo-French-Israeli coalition boosted Nasser’s popularity and influence in the region. Therefore, the Cold War set up conditions for the political dominance of Nasser in the Middle East while simultaneously diminishing Western influence.