Analyse the development of British policies towards the Middle East Essay

Analyse the development of British policies towards the Middle East from 1945 to 1967 - Essay ExampleBritain emerged from the foster World War in a precarious position both domestic tout ensembley and internationally. It faced repayment of a staggering 3.75 billion dollar loan from the United States, a convertibility crisis in 1947, a devaluation in 1949 and a balance of payment crisis in 1947. During this time there was prolonged public debate on the proper use of Britains economic and military resources. The Labor government, committed to the eradication of Imperialism, believed impertinent policy aims could be achieved in the long run by dealing with the peoples of the newly liberated nations as equals.Britain played an integral role in the Middle East since the close of World War I, and faced many difficulties in the region during the inter-war years. In large part these problems were brought on when they reneged on the pledge of independence they made to mingled Ethnic group s during their campaign against the Ottoman Turks. In addition, the parceling out land and creation of artificial states and borders resulted in various uprisings, most noniceably that in Iraq in 1920. Finally, their handling of the Palestine issue was not comfortably met by Arab nations.The handling of the Palestine issue in the Wars aftermath was a foreshadowing of Britains coming impo ten-spotcy in the region. Unable to resolve the issue, Britain gave administration of Palestine to the United Nations in 1946. On Nov 29th 1947, the UN ordain forth a resolution calling for the partitioning of Palestine into two parts, one Jewish, one Arab. The results were not favorable to the Palestinians three states, including the Soviet Union and the United States said yes, thirteen said no-mostly Arab and Muslim states-and ten abstained, among them Britain. Blackwell (1993) believes that the failure to hold Palestine, coupled with Britains economic weakness and financial dependence on the United States all contributed to the undermining of British views on its world role at the end of the war (p.107). Despite the policy drop of the years following the war, in the 1950s there was a resurgence of foreign policy aims, most observably in the Middle East. Almog and Watt (2003) believe that this was due largely to Britains interest in the Suez Canal. They claim, The Suez Canal hush up remained a vital route of communication to Britains interests in the Far East, e.g. Malaya and the empire in East Africa and Australia. In addition, in was an important link to British oil interests, largely those in Iran in 1939, the Anglo-Iranian Oil federation was one of Britains most important economic assets (Olmag and Watt, 2003, p. 1).Changing views by the British government on foreign policy were, to a large extent, an impetuous for policy expansion. Young (1997, p. 147) states, By 1951 the Labour Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin, a former trades union leader of lowly background but forceful personality, had abandoned all topic of isolationism and led Britain into a peacetime, permanent alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). In 1952 Sir John Harding delimit two fundamental principles that were to govern British initiatives and most importantly requirements for bases, in the Middle East. Cohen (2004) states, These principles marked the perception that the UK could no longer aspire on its own to provide an effective defence of