The Failure Of American And British Propaganda In The Arab Middle East, 1945-1957: Unconquerable Minds (cold War History)

Using recently declassified sources, this book provides the first detailed analysis of British and American propaganda targeting the countries of the Middle East during the years of increasing international tension and regional instability immediately following the end of the Second World War. Considering British and American propaganda within the framework of the Cold War crusade against Communism and the Soviet Union, and the developing confrontations between Arab nationalism and the West, the book investigates the central questions of Anglo-American partnership and rivalry in the period when primary responsibility for 'policing' the Middle East passed from one to the other. During the Kennedy years, American policy-makers considered French President, Charles de Gaulle, an obstruction within the Atlantic Alliance. Summoning a wide range of French and American archival sources as well as British and German materials, this book demonstrates that the structure and dynamics of the Franco-American relationship during this period were embedded in complex multilateral relationships within the Western Alliance. The book argues that differences between France and the United States during the early 1960s were the outcome of a series of mutually reinforcing security and economic problems, driven by domestic agendas, and shaped by differing conceptions about the containment of the Soviet Union and Germany. Dr. Mahan provides a subtle synthesis and definitive analysis of the key issues and events that generated conflict between Kennedy and de Gaulle: the Berlin crisis, British membership in the European Economic Community, a balance-of-payments disputes and nuclear sharing with NATO This analysis of US policy toward Indonesian nationalism argues that Truman's support for independence was based on his Cold War priorities and not principled backing for self-determination. It reveals how Eisenhower's New Look led to a disastrous CIA-backed intervention in 1957-58 and propelled Indonesia toward the Soviet bloc. Exposing the extent of Australian influence on US policy, this account reveals how the personal prejudices of Eisenhower and John Foster Dulles undermined the notion of rational policymaking. Front Matter....Pages i-viii Introduction....Pages 1-10 The Men and Machinery....Pages 11-47 Western Voices, Arab Minds....Pages 48-69 National Projection....Pages 70-96 Who Can Be Neutral?....Pages 97-127 The Less Said the Better....Pages 128-159 Equal Partners?....Pages 160-191 The Last Trump....Pages 192-237 Conclusion....Pages 238-249 Back Matter....Pages 250-316