Demise of the British Empire in the Middle East - Britain's Responses to Nationalist Movements, 1943-55 (Paperback, annotated edition)

Britain emerged from World War II dependent both economically and militarily upon the US. Egypt formed the hub of Britain's imperial interests in the Middle East. However, Britain's inability to maintain a large garrison in the region was clear to the indigenous peoples. In the Arab world itself, the old conservative elites had no solutions for the economic and social distress of the masses, which had been aggravated by the privations of war. These elites were now threatened by a new, Westernised middle stratum, the effendiyya, and tried the risky tactic of diverting the masses' frustration towards the British. This often backfired and even brought down the ancien regime in Egypt. The first Arab-Israeli War in 1948 was also a traumatic event for the region, with the Arab ruling elites' standing further damaged by their unexpected humiliation at the hands of the Israelis.