British Military Intervention and the Struggle for Jordan: King Hussein, Nasser and the Middle East Crisis, 1955-1958 / Edition 1

by Stephen Blackwell

Overview

Within two years of their abortive invasion of the Suez Canal zone in 1956, British troops once again intervened in a major Middle Eastern country. The Jordan intervention of July 1958 took place despite the steady decline of the British position in the country over the previous three years. This book examines why the government led by Harold Macmillan remained ready to use military force to prop up the regime of King Hussein even though the United States had emerged as the main Western power in the Middle East after 1956. Incorporating a variety of archival material, Blackwell provides new historical insights into the origins of the Anglo-American use of military power to protect their interests in the Middle East.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780714656991
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/10/2008
Series:	British Politics and Society
Pages:	282
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Stephen Blackwell is a freelance journalist and consultant based in London and Abu Dhabi. He previously lectured at the University of Aberystwyth and University College London, headed the European Security Programme at the Royal United Services Institute, and edited Jane’s Sentinel Security Assessments.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Jordan, Suez and the Decline of British Influence in the Middle East 2. Glubb’s Jordan: The Arab Legion, the Hashemites and the Nationalist Challenge, 1948–1956 3. Amman under the Shadow of Nasser: Jordanian Nationalism and the Suez Crisis, April – November 1956 4. The British Abandonment and the American Retrieval of Jordan, November 1956–April 1957 5. The Kings against the Colonels: Jordan and the Anglo-American Plot to Overthrow the Syrian Government, 1957 6. Combating Nasser: Anglo-American Support for Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon, November 1957 – June 1958 7. The Baghdad Coup and the Macmillan Government’s Decision to Intervene in Jordan, 14-17 July 1958 8. A Tenuous Foothold: British Paratroops Deploy in Amman, July-August 1958 9. Managing the International Crisis: Creating a UN ‘Mantle’ for Jordan, September–November 1958 10. Belated Reappraisals: Anglo-American Policy, Regional Nationalism and the Future of Jordan, November 1958–March 1959. Conclusion