The world relied on oil to fuel industry and the middle east was the largest source of oil. The goal was to ravage the middle east oil industry if. Other than oil, what interests does america have in the. Praise for americas war for the greater middle east bacevich is thoughtprovoking, profane and fearless. With religious battles, political insatiability, social unrest, a growing population, and climate change, the belief that oil. As oil prices continue to wallow at lows not seen for more than decade, petroleum exporting countries in the middle east are looking to reform their. The middle east during the cold war russiaxxcentury. The area also had vast reserves of oil, not crucial for either superpower in the 1950s who each held large. The sources of unrest the middle east and north africa mena has been struggling for the last few decades to grow its economy. Jan 22, 2016 as oil prices continue to wallow at lows not seen for more than decade, petroleum exporting countries in the middle east are looking to reform their economies so that they can weather the shock of. Security, if measured by the absence of conflict, has been elusive, and safeguarding the persian gulf and the regions. Natural resources as a source of conflict in the middle east a discussion of islamic fundamentalisms resistance to the effects of modernization on oil and water by alanna c. Americas war for the greater middle east is a bracing afteraction report from the front lines of history.
The united states has long been involved in the middle east, and its role has only. Continuation of middle east geopolitical conflicts driven by selfperpetuating arms races funded by petrodollars facade of political and social stability in middle east made possible by government spending on security during high oil price period masks. Jun 23, 2016 on a cool summer day in london in 1951, an american cia officer told three british oil executives about a topsecret u. Oil, iraq and us foreign policy in the middle east irene gendzier as tensions across the world rise in anticipation of washingtons war on iraq, the bush administration continues to focus on baghdads possession of weapons of mass destruction as its prime justification for war. Throughout its history, the middle east has been the center of an imperial tug of war with major implications for the regions inhabitants. International journal of humanities and social science vol. He is grateful to vishal kamath, matthew oliveri, courtney. Americas closest partners in the middle east have transformed since the days of the cold war twin pillars strategy, when iran and saudi arabia were. But the beginning of the war stopped the 3years plan of the agip oil. Not only are oil prices cyclical, but the geopolitics of oil are linked inexorably to the same boom and bust price cycle. More recently, we watched the arab spring, which erupted in december 2010, bringing destruction to the region. According to one estimate, twentyfive to fifty percent of interstate wars between 1973 and 2012 had oilrelated linkages.
In the wests last gasp of colonialism, britain and france apportioned this region between themselves, creating the artifice we now call the middle east. Middle east oil production in ww2 axis history forum. More recently, we watched the arab spring, which erupted in december 2010, bringing destruction to. Within two years the price of oil quadrupled and the world faced a serious economic crisis as a. Location what was the southernmost point in israel in 1947 and what might have been its strategic value. List of books and articles about oil and the middle east. Mar 26, 2015 the middle east has been a conflict hotzone for several millennium. The author argues that the connection between war and oil in the middle east seemed permanent as of june 2012. The german people suffered, and this led a lunatic to power, and as soon as germany was strong enough she stroke back. Iraq, the soviet union and the united states, 194590 the effects of the cold war overview 41 41 43 46 47 50 54 ii this chapter attempts to examine the effects of the cold war upon the states of the middle east. The article forecasts the condition of the oil market in the middle east for 20102011 including the trade of brent crude in march 2010, the oil production in the organization of petroleum exporting countries opec, and oil prices in the forecast period. German and european foreign and economic policymakers would be wisely advised to take.
Indeed, that relationship has become a seemingly permanent one. Despite withdrawal of us forces from iraq, kuwait along with qatar has remained an important regional hub, with. But european oil needs begin to be increasingly met by the middle east and not the. The region lay directly south of the soviet union, who traditionally had great influence in turkey and iran. Thesis of oil, dollars, debt and crises middle east instability is intricately tied to global financial and oil cycles. Kuwait is a major non nato ally and the country served as a base for over 20,000 us troops during the iraq war. War of independence, 1948 occupied by israel after sixday war, 1967 occupied by israel, 19671982 occupied by israel with limited palestinian selfgovernment the middle east, 1947present geography skillbuilder. The organization of petroleum exporting countries opec raised the price of crude by 70% causing the arab oil embargo. The united states is a net oil exporter pdf in 1945, but by 1950 it is. The oil production of middle east was not exceptional, but would have been of great help for the axis that was mostly based on rumanian oil. The second world war for oil cannot be considered as an independent event from the first world war for oil.
The war on terror has repeatedly been likened to world war two and the cold war analogies that dont hold up. The new middle east was to be a region of mostly democratic countries allied with the united states. Praise for americas war for the greater middle east bacevich is thoughtprovoking, profane and. Opec used oil as a political weapon stopping oil shipments from the middle east. Recent unrest in the middle east and north africa mena region has affected international energy markets and put upward pressure on oil prices. Middle eastern oil has enchanted global powers and global capital since the early twentieth century. A map of the middle east prepared by the british governments foreign office, published as part of a survey of middle east oil resources, tells us much about the wests attitude to the region throughout the 20th century. America, oil, and war in the middle east researchgate. Mar 01, 2002 as the cold war was moving to center stage in american foreign policy in 1948, a new worry emerged in the white house. Instead for the allies it was pretty irrilevant usa oil production of 1937.
Iraq, the soviet union and the united states, 194590 the effects of the cold war overview 41 41 43 46 47 50 54 ii this chapter attempts to examine the. In the decade after the fall of the soviet union the u. Libyas new rulers struggle to rebuild an oil industry battered by the civil war that ended muammar gaddafis 32year rule, but the threat of further violence could sabotage these efforts and with them any prospect of an early national recovery by blanche, ed the middle east, no. The american romance began in earnest in the 1930s, when geologists working for standard oil of california discovered commercial quantities of oil on the eastern shores of saudi arabia. Endowed with half of the worlds known oil and gas reserves, the middle east and north africa mena1 region became particularly during the second half of the twentieth century a cornerstone of the global energy architecture yergin, 1991, 2011. Blood and oil the middle east in world war i examines the devastating conflict and western political intrigue that laid the foundation for wars, coups, revolts and military interventions in the middle east.
The middle east in the cold war was an area of extreme importance and also great instability. It will fundamentally change the way we view americas engagement in the worlds most volatile region. Eventually, they struck a gusher more than 1100 feet below ground in majidisuleman, persia iran. Koichiro tanaka geopolitical events have so far shaken the world economy beyond spatial and temporal domains, as have those in the middle east. Consider the september 14 attack on saudi oil facilities. The regions exporters account for roughly 40% of oil and 20% of natural gas traded internationally. America, oil, and war in the middle east article in the journal of american history 991. Since the late 1970s the gulf has been rocked by revolution and almost permanent war. Access to middle eastern oil in adequate amounts and at reasonable. Conflicts in the middle east springfield public schools. After the end of world war i, most of the ottoman empire was carved up into spheres of influence, controlled mostly by the british. The history of oil in the middle east timeline timetoast. The question facing the united states in the middle east is not whether it.
The immediate origins of the cold war oil in the middle east a c1ash of ideologies elements of a case study. On a cool summer day in london in 1951, an american cia officer told three british oil executives about a topsecret u. All the elements for a larger regional conflict are. In the medium and longterm it is likely that political developments in the strategicallyimportant middle east could trigger a new oil crisis. Strategic interests in the middle east and implications for the army. Toby craig jones is an associate professor of middle east history at rutgers university, new brunswick.
Gulf war, and continuing operations in northern and southern iraq. The topsecret cold war plan to keep soviet hands off middle. Gdp is based on oil and on government activities that are heavily funded from oil revenues. After wining the war, the allies imposed extremely hard conditions on germany. Oil is of integral importance in both the foreign and the domestic politics of nearly every country in the region, oil importers as well as oil exporters. Oil also played an important role in the struggle after the war over the future of. Darcy recieved a license to explore for oil 7 years earlier.
On first glance, its lines and shading give the impression that it is a political map, marking nations and the boundaries. Continuation of middle east geopolitical conflicts driven by selfperpetuating arms races funded by petrodollars. As the cold war was moving to center stage in american foreign policy in 1948, a new worry emerged in the white house. When the united states enters the war allied against germany in 1917, the wilson.
Break up as big a threat as isis is, the competition that truly defines the middle east is the one between saudi arabia and iran. Jun 09, 2012 oil and war have become increasingly interconnected in the middle east. America, oil, and war in the middle east surplus value. When america first went to war in the middle east, brookings institution, july. These groups believe that the continued dependence on oil will likely draw the united states into another costly war in the middle east and will further devastate both the environment and the. Its allure has been particularly powerful for the united states. The middle easts wealth of natural resources oil gas. Oil was first discovered in the middle east in persia by a british company led by william darcy. The middleeast has been a conflict hotzone for several millennium. The cold war and the middle east flashcards quizlet. America, oil, and war in the middle east 209 blood and treasure. The political economy of middle eastern oil mary ann tetreault the middle east is the geographic center of gravity of the world oil industry.
A scientist at the king abdullah university of science and technology explores nerve tissue in a 3d immersive. Pdf china has spread its ties to the middle east in ways that go beyond oil. Oct 10, 2014 the second world war for oil 19391945. Gulf has been rocked by revolution and almost permanent war. Security, if measured by the absence of conflict, has been. Americas oil dependence and its implications for u. In all these countries, activities in non oil and nongovernment sectors are also often linked to oil and government activities.
Natural resources as a source of conflict in the middle east. Since oil prices started a plunge around the emergence of the isis as a new threat in syria and iraq, however, geopolitical factors have apparently lost. The united states and the middle east the tobin project. However, the real antecedents lie in world war one. Oil played a major role in the post world war i imperial power negotiations which led to the imposition of british and french rules in the middle east. The sources of unrest and the peril of continued oil addiction to the u.
1288 639 250 826 1433 71 324 616 100 726 970 241 724 1113 740 1025 1357 476 1483 1660 1386 1441 1007 1293 594 899 199 553 146 710 106 36 446 1394 141 504 45 478 996 18 680 505