Soviet Policy’s Patterns Toward the Middle East Essay (Book Review)

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Updated: Mar 4th, 2024

The fundamentals of Soviet policy in relation to the Middle East

When writing about patterns of Soviet policy in relation to the Middle East, it is necessary to highlight some fundamentals of the issue. So, first of all, there is a need to clarify the nature of the policy. Generally, one is to keep in mind that the Soviet central direction was reactive in nature. However, it should also be pointed out that the character of the policy depended upon two key questions.

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For instance, the nature of the central direction was determined by the goals, which Moscow defined; on the other hand, to understand better the nature of the policy, it is important to be familiar with the strategies Soviet leaders had to follow. In other words, it should be clarified whether the leaders of the USSR relied on the only strategy, or their actions were determined by the so-called country-by-country approach. Of course, one is to keep in mind that the questions are not so easy to answer. There are certain contradictions in the historians’ views concerning the answers to the questions.

The offensive policy of the USSR and the reasons for its development

Of course, nobody will deny the fact that the leaders of the USSR wanted to control the Middle East, as they were interested in the affairs of the region. For this reason, some scientists say that Soviet Policy towards the Middle East was mostly defensive (the USSR did not want the region to be used as a station for numerous military attacks); while others are considered to be the supporters of the opposite opinion, i.e. some historians say that Soviet Middle Eastern policy was mostly offensive, as the leaders of the Soviet Union wanted to limit the influence of the West.

Generally, a defensive policy meant the USA had to cooperate with the USSR; while offensive one meant the Soviet Union wanted to weaken Western influence. When analyzing the goals of the USSR in relation to the Middle East, it becomes obvious that the nature of the policy was most offensive. Generally, one is to keep in mind that the policy of the USSR was regarded as a field of economic and strategic importance.

Marxist-Leninist ideology determined the strategy Moscow relied on. In other words, the policy was not determined by a country-by-country basis. So, while the policy of the USSR was offensive, it is necessary to highlight the ways the Soviet Union relied on to limit Western influence. The most important tactic is considered to be military aid as well as an economic one. “Finally, Moscow has offered the Arabs military and diplomatic aid against Israel, although, that assistance has been limited in scope because the USSR continues to support Israel’s right to exist” (Freedman 1985, p. 42).

In spite of the fact that the Soviet Union used numerous tactics, it should be pointed out that serious problems still took place. Regional conflicts prevented the USSR from the successful implementation of the tactical move. On the other hand, Communist parties, which were formed in the Middle East, were recognized to be the obstacles for Soviet policy implementation. Finally, to achieve success, the political leaders of the USSR decided to create the so-called anti-imperialist bloc of the countries. In my opinion, such a strategic decision was not wrong.

Freedman (1985, p. 43) stated that the leaders of the Soviet Union wanted the countries to bury their “internecine rivalries and, along with such political organizations as the Arab Communist parties and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), form a united front against what the USSR has called the linchpin of Western imperialism in the Middle East: Israel”. However, this idea failed, unfortunately. Thus, the so-called unity of Arab countries appeared not due to the efforts of the Soviet Union, but it was an Egyptian President who created unity.

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The relations between the USA and the Soviet Union after the events, which took place in World War II, were obvious. Of course, the Cold War was unavoidable. The political leaders of the USA wanted to limit the access of the USSR to petroleum resources as well as military bases of the Middle East. On the other hand, one is to keep in mind that the USA wanted to limit the Union’s access to Middle Eastern lines of communication. The only interest of the USSR in the petroleum industry of the Middle East gives us an opportunity to suppose that Soviet leaders wanted to weaken oil companies in the USA.

“Egypt, Syria and Iraq were all viewed by Moscow as progressive regimes that had broken with Western imperialism and were in the process of laying the foundations for a socialist socio-economic orientation” (Kanet 2006, p. 335). In other words, for the USSR, it was extremely important to set the states against the West; although, the policy the Soviet Union relied on was chosen carefully. Economic and military support allowed the USSR to establish warm relations with the Middle East.

In the early sixties, the Soviet Union tried to establish strong relations with the countries of the Third World. At the same time, the Middle East decided to sort out the conflict with Israel. Unfortunately, the consequences of the conflict caused really great damage. Kanet (2006, p. 336) says that

Overall Soviet involvement in hot wars throughout the Third World remained
limited largely to political encouragement and support, military training, the
provision of equipment, and advice. This, however, was about to change, as
the relative power positions of the two superpowers, at least as seen from
Moscow and Washington began to shift.

The USSR’s hidden tactic

The main aim of Soviet policy towards the Middle East was to limit the access of the USA to Middle Eastern resources. Soviet policy is considered to be offensive, as the leaders of the USSR wanted to eliminate Western influences. Military assistance as well as economic one the USSR provided the Middle East with was the so-called hidden tactic to weaken the power of the USA.

References:

Freedman, R 1985, Patterns of Soviet Policy Toward the Middle East, Sage Publications, Inc. Thousand Oaks, CA.

Kanet, R 2006, The Superpower Quest for Empire: The Cold War and Soviet Support for ‘Wars of National Liberation’, Web.

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IvyPanda. 2024. "Soviet Policy's Patterns Toward the Middle East." March 4, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/soviet-policys-patterns-toward-the-middle-east/.

1. IvyPanda. "Soviet Policy's Patterns Toward the Middle East." March 4, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/soviet-policys-patterns-toward-the-middle-east/.


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