Description
Book SynopsisBritain has been engaged in the Middle East for over two centuries. During the Napoleonic Wars it expelled the French from Egypt. During World War I it helped to dismantle the Ottoman empire. During World War II, it defeated the Italians and Germans. In the post-war years, it attempted to reassert its domination of the Middle East but with little success. Today British forces in the region are fighting ISIS. Variously seen as intruders by most of the local populations and nationalists and as protectors by local pliant rulers, the British have been key arbiters in Middle Eastern politics. They created new states, determined who could hold power, resolved disputes and offered security to their clients. In this major new study, Peter Mangold shows how Britain sought to protect its changing interests in the region and assesses the British response to Arab nationalism. He examines the successes and failures of British policy and the reasons it has often proved controversial and accident prone.And he evaluates Britain's complex legacy in the Middle East - its contribution to the stability of Jordan (at least to date) and the Gulf states, set against the instability which has plagued Iraq and the unresolved Palestine conflict. In tracing the history of Britain's relationship with the Middle East, Mangold reveals how Britain's involvement in the Middle East sowed the seeds for today's crises.
Trade Review'What the British Did is an enjoyable and profitable read, a worthy successor to Elizabeth Monroe's Britain's Moment in the Middle East.' - Wm. Roger Louis, Professor of History, University of Texas at Austin, 'This book is a major contribution to the existing literature on Britain's encounter with the Middle East. It is unique in offering a comprehensive survey of over two centuries of history. And it has the added merit of exploring many different aspects in Britain's relationship with this complex, volatile, and endlessly fascinating region.' - Avi Shlaim, author of The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction: ‘The Pedigree of a White Stallion’ PART ONE: LINES OF INCURSION, 1798–1922 1 Persia’s Doubtful Friend 2 Toeholds in Arabia 3 Mediterranean Approaches 4 Unintended Consequences 5 The War for the Middle East: On the Defensive, 1914–16 6 The War for the Middle East: Onto the Offensive, 1916–18 7 ‘Present at the Creation’ PART TWO: HIGH NOON, 1922–45 8 ‘An Inferior Independence’ 9 Client Kings 10 ‘Riding Two Horses at Once’ 11 Strongmen, Borders and Oil 12 Egypt and the Second World War 13 Holding the Middle East PART THREE: DISSOLUTION, 1945–71 14 Complex Adjustments 15 A Sea of Troubles 16 The Road to Suez 17 Still Fighting Nasser 18 Oil, Force and Bases PART FOUR: POST-IMPERIAL, 1971–2014 19 Just a Trading Nation 20 A Return to the Gulf PART FIVE: PERSPECTIVES 21 Matters of Scruple 22 How Did the British Do? Notes Select Bibliography Index
