Making sense of this crazy world

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.

Saudi Arabia becomes a key player

We have reached the point in the Middle East at which British rivalry with France is largely superseded by British rivalry with America. BIG SPOLIER – America is going to win this one. Britain’s days as a major power were numbered, they just didn’t see it just yet.

Anglo-American Rivalry

Before Britain (and France) had relinquished their mandates in the Middle East, Britain and America were already manoeuvring to put one over one another and ensure predominance in the region. Before it was even over, the Anglo-French rivalry was being replaced by an Anglo-American rivalry, again whilst the two countries were allies fighting the Axis powers.

The British Mandate Ends and Israel is Born

This episode looks at the very bitter end of the British mandate and the immediate Arab response to the Israeli state. And it ends with some revelations that will probably surprise you, even shock you, but that are actually understandable.

Palestine: Towards the Bitter End

We are now in 1946 and a combination of diplomatic pressure from the Jewish Agency and continued paramilitary activity, as well as propaganda applied in America which led to increased American pressure, and French manoeuvrings too as they sought revenge, all combined to bring about an end to the British mandate in Palestine. In truth, Britain didn’t stand a chance of maintaining its mandate.

Palestine and the End Game for the British

I’m returning to the Middle East and to the last years of the British mandate in Palestine. With the defeat of Germany, the full revelations of the Holocaust and the refugee crisis in Europe (there were a quarter of a million refugees of whom more than half were Jewish survivors of the Holocaust; and they were living in awful conditions with winter on its way), the momentum was with the Zionist cause.

Britain and America: the Special Relationship

In this episode I'm going to take a little look at the Special Relationship the British and Americans like to talk about and that has worried the French and other Europeans in the post-war world. It was Churchill who actually coined the phrase, referring to a “fraternal association of the English-speaking peoples …. a special relationship between the British Commonwealth and Empire and the United States.” 

Explaining the Cold War: The Berlin Blockade

What happened in Berlin in 1948 and 1949 can be seen in a number of ways. It is the last factor in explaining the cause of the Cold War; and at the same time, it is the first act of the Cold War, the first clash between the two superpowers. It also demonstrates just how Berlin was at the centre of those rings I described in the introduction to this little series.