The Failure of American and British Propaganda in the Arab Middle East, 1945-1957

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.

'James Vaughan's excellent book..is firmly grounded in extensive archival research on both sides of the Atlantic and displays a good grasp of recent historiographical developments. The prose is remarkably assured for a first publication and the material well-organized. Although quite bold in the claims he makes, Vaughan is also sensitive to the complexities and nuances of his subject matter, paying particular attention to differences in the propaganda aims and methods of the Atlantic allies. Overall, this is a first-rate addition to Palgrave-Macmillan's Cold War History Series and a timely reminder that no amount of public or cultural diplomacy by western governments in the Arab world will remedy the effects of bad policy decisions.' - Hugh Wilford, Intelligence and National Security

Autorentext
JAMES VAUGHAN is Lecturer in International Politics at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK.

Inhalt
Introduction: Strategy and Diplomacy in the Middle East: the Psychological Dimension Instruments of Persuasion: Western Propaganda Machines and the Middle East 'Western Voices, Arab Minds': Orientalism and Propaganda 'Projecting Britain, Selling America': Cultural Diplomacy in the Middle East 'Who Can Be Neutral?' Propaganda and the Middle Eastern Cold War 'The Real Imperialists': Colonialism, Nationalism and the Arab Street 'The Stumbling Block': Western Propaganda and the Arab-Israeli Dispute 'From Alpha to Omega': Political Warfare in the Middle East 'The Last Trump': The Suez Propaganda War 'America's Moment': The Propaganda Failure of the Eisenhower Doctrine Conclusion: Anglo-American Relations and the Failure of Propaganda in the Middle East