The United States-Egyptian relations, 1945-1958

This dissertation is a study of American-Egyptian relations in the years 1945-1958. The study demonstrates the ways in which American policy makers of the Truman and Eisenhower administrations attempted to enhance American influence in the Arab Middle East. They concentrated their efforts on Egypt due to its prominence in the Arab world.To achieve these goals, the American government created the Truman Doctrine, the Middle East Defense Organization, the Baghdad Pact, and the Eisenhower Doctrine. These military alliances focused primarily on Egypt, which controlled the Suez Canal and had the most influence among the Arab states.Ultimately, American involvement failed--first in its attempt to protect American and Western interests in the Arab World and second in its attempt to halt Soviet influence in the area. The major reasons for failure are as follows: (1) Both the Truman and the Eisenhower administrations lacked a long-term strategy. They merely reacted to immediate events and chose to preserve the status quo. As a result, neither formulated a viable and consistent policy for the Middle East. (2) The special relationship between the United States and Israel hampered American policy makers. American recognition of Israel, its continued moral, economic, political and military support, as well as America's failure to reach an acceptable solution to the Arab-Israeli dispute aroused Arab criticism and distrust in the U.S. government. (3) The Eisenhower administration's misperception of the Arab national movement doomed its policy to failure. Eisenhower and Dulles associated the movement with the Soviet Union and supported unpopular pro-Western Arab regimes in order to resist the burgeoning movement. This policy aroused the ire of Arab nationalist leaders, most notably Jamal Abdel Nasser, who considered this policy as an attempt to thwart Arab self-interests. Arabs desired independence. Ironically, their independence was threatened not by the Soviets but by Western nations.The U.S. decisions and policies made and implemented during the period remain today as an integral part of American diplomacy in the region. They were designed to contain alleged Soviet penetration, provide economic and military aid to pro-Western Arab regimes, and promote peace in the region while protecting Israel.