HIS 342 question set 3 Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HIS 342 question set 3 - Research Proposal Example Left with this dilemma, the masses opted for an authoritarian stagnation that seems so tenacious and powerful because of the domination of the terrorist elements over the scope for any revolution or an alternative arrangement. The 1956 Suez Crisis was an important event in the Cold War era that revealed the chinks in the allied solidarity. The genesis of this crisis lied in the French and the British dominion over one of the world's most important and lucrative sea route that is the Suez Canal that happened to pass through the Egyptian territory (Trueman, 2008). The nationalization of this canal by Nasser in 1956 immensely innervated the British and the French. The US disapproval of the British and the French invasion of Egypt greatly benefitted the USSR, who got access to the much coveted alternative sea route besides the Bosporus that was closely monitored by the allies' intelligence. The other major gainer in this crisis was Israel who crossed over the Gaza Strip and Sinai Desert and gained access to the Straits of Tiran. After the withdrawal of the Super Power sponsors owing to the end of the Cold War and the dilution of the Arab-Israel conflict, it became imperative for the military regimes in the Middle East to chalk out policies that bolstered the cohesion amongst the various constituent elements of the state. The main crux of such policies lied in securing an alliance between the political and economic centres of power (Glenn, 1998). This included an outright domination over the political power through multiple security apparatuses and over the economic power through securing alliances with the local, elitist vested interests. This gave an opportunity to the other totalitarian regimes in the region like Iran and Saudi Arabia to tighten their grip over power by professing themselves to be the custodians of Islamic values in the region. Effect of Oil The discovery of oil in the Middle East changed many countries from being pauper states relying on the international aid for sustenance to being oil rich regimes (Britannica). This assured the countries lying in this region, an uninterrupted access to immense wealth on a continuous basis. The new found oil wealth unleashed an unprecedented and enormous expansion of health facilities, employment opportunities and government services. The quality of life of the people certainly improved with a better access to housing owing to a boom in the construction projects. At a political level, this enhanced the status and clout of these regimes in the international arena. However, this improvement in the economic standards and quality of life failed to accomplish a commensurate revolution in the social and cultural parameters like the women rights and democratic values. Besides, the oil wealth left the totalitarian and military regimes in the region with more then ample resources to tighten th eir