Place: Egypt

Time: Post-World War II, during the Cold War era.

🇪🇬 War against Israel (1948-49)

• Catalyst for change in Egypt.

• Egyptian army's dissatisfaction with the Egyptian government's handling of the war.

🤫 Coup d'État

• Led by Nasser and fellow army officers.

• Why? They were frustrated by the government's incompetence in the 1948-9 war.

• Outcome? Overthrew the King's government in 1952.

💂 The British Troops and the Suez Canal

• Goal: Achieve complete independence for Egypt by removing British troops from the Suez Canal.

• How? Peaceful negotiations.

• Result? British troops departed by 1954. But, British officials continued to operate the Canal – symbol of Western domination.

Cold War Dynamics

• The big players: US and UK (Western powers) vs. USSR.

• The goal? Contain the spread of Soviet influence.

• Nasser's Egypt: A potential ally or foe?

🤝 Western Proposition to Egypt

• Offer: Join the anti-Soviet alliance.

• Nasser's perspective? USSR is 5000 miles away, not an immediate threat.

• Real threat in Nasser's eyes? Western powers & Israel.

Nasser's Neutrality

• Wished to stay independent of any pro-Western alliance.

• Western perspective? Suspicion. Why? Cold War logic - "If you're not with us, you're against us."