March 10 Notes

U.S. and the Middle East

The Effects of the Cold War

March 10, 2008

I. Origins of Cold War

1. Turkey & Iran (Soviet pressures—Azerbaijan, straits, northeast, Kurdistan; path to Truman Doctrine)

2. North Africa (wartime legacy, fate of Libya, Arab League)

3. Truman and Israel (stalling policy and hopes for UN peace process; decision to recognize)

II. Grand Strategies

1. Middle East after Korea (Northern Tier vs. Middle East: one region or two?; reaching out to Turkey; Shah and oil contracts; Egpyt’s strategic significance; Korean War and NSC-68, Turkey and collective security; contrasting views of security—United States, Britain, Egpyt, Turkey; Turkey to NATO, collapse of MEC and JCS stress on unilateral military activities)

2. Israel & the Cold War (post-recognition Israel and the world; “nation in arms,” border skirmishes, and arms sales: initial neutrality—significance of Britain, then France, role of Czechoslovakia; Israel and EE dictatorships: Romania, Stalin and Eastern Europe; battle against “cosmopolitanism”: Hungarian purgesàSlánský/Clementis show trials in Czechoslovakia; differing approaches FRG and DDR: Reparations Agreement in FRG, fall of Merker faction in DDR; China and diplomatic disarray; limits of U.S. support—limits to economic aid, path to NSC 47/2)

III. Eisenhower’s Effects

1. The New Look (rollback, McCarthyism, and the 1952 campaign—Republican coalition; NSC 162/2; role of economy; realism and end of Korean War; massive retaliation and Dulles; covert operations; role of Congress and McCarthyism; East Asian diplomacy and significance of Formosa Doctrine; where does Middle East fit in?)

2. Transforming the Middle East (Mussadiq, the Shah, and the 1953 coup; short- and long-term effects)

3. Water Diplomacy (Eisenhower and Israel: minimal economic aid, refusal of military assistance; Dulles and obstacles to peace: anti-Israel vision of regional security; Israel and water—Ben Gurion vision of Negev, decision to divert Jordan R. at Gesher B’not Ya’akov; UN response and threatened U.S. economic sanctions; economic development as alternative to Cold War?: Eric Johnston and TVA concept for Jordan Valley; Arab League rejection of Johnson Plan; Egypt: background with Nasser; desire for military aid; Nasser’s turn east—Bandung, Czech arms deal; US, Nasser, and Aswan Dam)

	1950	1951	1952
Defense budget	$13.3B	$60.4B	$44B
Army	591,000	1.55M	1.595M
Navy	451,000	1.01M	1.05M
Air Force	411,000	1.06M	973,000