Making sense of this crazy world

Iran's Nuclear Programme

We’ve been looking at really serious things with regard to Iran; and very worrying too. But the thing that has worried the West the most is undoubtedly Iran’s nuclear programme, and that's the focus of this episode.

International Consequences to the Iranian Revolution

I’m continuing my focus on the impact of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, moving away from the two superpowers of America and the Soviet Union, to consider the broader international impact, selecting examples of Iran’s presence across the world – some I think will tweak your memory but I think you’ll also be in for a few surprises.

The Impact of the Islamic Revolution on America and the Soviet Union

This second episode on the impact of the Islamic Revolution in Iran will focus on its impact on America and the Soviet Union. The Middle East with its oil, was always going to be an important region for the two superpowers, but the Islamic Revolution in Iran would unsettle the plans of both of them.

Iran: America's Palestine; America's Egypt

In this episode I’m going to return to 1979 and the event that triggered a process of geopolitical realignment that is up there with the collapse of the Soviet Union in its significance on our world today. America had put a lot of time and dollars into supporting the Shah in Iran, and in 1979 that blew up in America’s face, and gave us President Bush’s “Axis of Evil” and later what Iran called an “Axis of Resistance”.  So, 1979 is extremely important.

Turkey: from Ataturk to Erdogan

Turkey straddles many worlds: Europe and Asia, a Christian world and the Islamic world, the West and the Russian Federation. In the aftermath of WW1, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the creator of modern Turkey, created a secular Turkey out of the old Ottoman Empire.  Today, Erdogan's Turkey has placed Islam back at the centre of Turkish life. So, this episode tries to explain how we got from Ataturk to Erdogan. And just how how that journey has changed Turkey. With all that's going on in Ukraine and the Middle East, its an important episode.

Sadat and Mubarak

This week we come to our last episode on Egypt, focusing on Sadat and Mubarak, both, like Nasser, members of the Free Officers group that had overthrown King Farouq in the coup of 1952. They would both reject Nasser’s Arab socialism but would follow his lead in continuing to enforce an authoritarian government on the Egyptian people, and while Sadat would take-on Israel again, both reached an accommodation with the Israelis. But it wouldn't end well for either of them.

Nasser's Legacy

This week we are going to consider Nasser's legacy. The scourge of Britain, they (along with the French) saw him as something of a Hitler or a Mussolini, but to this day he is still seen by many Egyptians, maybe most, as a hero; and he was, for a time, the leader of the Arab world and a big figure in the Third World and the non-aligned movement. But did that much change for Egyptians? And was his overriding legacy that of authoritarian government?

In the Wake of the Suez Crisis

The Suez Crisis left Britain humiliated and as far as the Middle East as a whole was concerned, the spectacular failure of British power meant that, in fact, Britain was no longer seen as a major player. America had made it clear that oil and the Cold War came way up their list of priorities before the so-called “special relationship”. And the Soviet Union was emboldened. But we shouldn't forget - Nasser was very much still in power.

The Suez Crisis

What we are going to look at this week really did shake everything up. It is a remarkable story showing the arrogant and downright immoral side of British imperialism. And it ends in humiliation.

Egypt

In this episode, I’m turning to Egypt because something really, really important happens in 1956. Something that changes the whole game in the Middle East and beyond, and we need to understand it.