State, Power & Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East, 2nd Edition

Fully revised and up-dated, this authoritative text now takes into account the considerable developments in the Middle East in the 1990's. As with the first edition, this book explores the emergence of individual Middle Eastern states since the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the First World War. By exploring key topics such as the role of the military, economics and religion and the relationship of each with politics, this book remains an excellent introduction to the modern history and politics of a region that is usually portrayed as mysterious, unpredictable and violent. Roger Owen has fully revised and up-dated his authoritative text to take into account the considerable developments in the Middle East in the 1990's. As with the first edition, this book explores the emergence of individual Middle Eastern states since the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the First World War and some of the key themes that have characterised the region. State Power and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East 2nd edition has been up-dated to take into account the end of the Cold War, the Gulf War and Israeli-Palestinian peace process. It also covers almost all Middle Eastern countries, including the member states of the Arab League, Iran, Israel and Turkey. Key themes such as the state and its formation, the role of the military within the political system, the politics of economic restructuring, democracy and electoral practice, and the changing relationship between religion and politics are explored. A new chapter looking at the role of non-state actors such as workers, women and Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza is included. This book continues to serve as an excellent introduction for new-comers to the modern history and politics of a region that is usually portrayed as mysterious, unpredictable and violent. Roger Owen has fully revised and up-dated his authoritative text to take into account the considerable developments in the Middle East in the 1990's. As with the first edition, this book explores the emergence of individual Middle Eastern states since the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the First World War and some of the key themes that have characterised the region. State Power and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East 2nd edition has been up-dated to take into account the end of the Cold War, the Gulf War and Israeli-Palestinian peace process. It also covers almost all Middle Eastern countries, including the member states of the Arab League, Iran, Israel and Turkey. Key themes such as the state and its formation, the role of the military within the political system, the politics of economic restructuring, democracy and electoral practice, and the changing relationship between religion and politics are explored. A new chapter looking at the role of non-state actors such as workers, women and Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza is included. This book continues to serve as an excellent introduction for new-comers to the modern history and politics of a region that is usually portrayed as mysterious, unpredictable and violent Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 List of illustrations......Page 11 Preface......Page 12 Acknowledgements......Page 15 List of abbreviations......Page 16 States and state building......Page 18 Introduction......Page 20 The end of empires: the emergence of the modern Middle Eastern states......Page 25 The growth of state power in the Arab world: the single-party regimes......Page 44 The growth of state power in the Arab world under family rule, and the Libyan alternative......Page 62 Arab nationalism, Arab unity and the practice of intra-Arab state relations......Page 81 State and politics in Israel, Iran and Turkey from the Second World War......Page 101 The remaking of the Middle Eastern political environment after the Gulf War......Page 120 Themes in contemporary Middle Eastern politics......Page 138 Introduction......Page 140 The politics of economic restructuring......Page 142 Parties, elections and the vexed question of democracy in the Arab world......Page 164 The politics of religious revival......Page 190 The military in and out of politics......Page 215 Some important non-state actors......Page 238 Conclusion: the Middle East at the end of the twentieth century......Page 256 Select bibliography......Page 267 Index......Page 272 This major new study provides the best general account to date of the recent political history of the Middle East. Roger Owen, a leading authority on Middle Eastern politics and history, presents a unique comparative treatment of central topics such as the growth of the Middle East state system, the place of the military, the role of religious organizations, the return to greater democracy, and the political response of Middle Eastern regimes to the economic crises of the 1970s and 1980s. The book provides a political history of all the Arab countries, as well as Israel, Iran, and Turkey, from the post-World War I period up to the present day. It will be important reading for those studying modern history and the Middle East, and for journalists, politicians and anyone who wants to know more about the current politics of the region. The first five chapters of Part I are concerned with the establishment and consolidation of the various modern Middle Eastern states which emerged out of the Ottoman Empire and Persian Empires at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries. Roger Owen. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [250]-254) And Index.