Rashid Khalidi’s Sowing Crisis describes the beginning of the Cold War and American dominance and control in the Middle East. The book provides the reader with a compelling case that the U.S. and the Soviet Union involvement in the Middle East provided the basis for the complete break down of democracy in the region and lead to not only regional conflict but global conflict. The effects that U.S. and Soviet Union intervention are not only still felt today but are felt all over the world. In Sowing Crisis Khalidi begins by saying that the Cold War began within in a year after the end of World War Two. However some historians say that there are some different events that occurred between 1945 and 1947 that could also mark the beginning of the
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Khalidi describes the both the Soviets and the United States entered World War Two for largely the same reasons, because they were both attacked. For the Soviet Union the attack was more of a threat to their own sovereignty and for the U.S the reason was generally the same but in the Soviet Union’s case the threat seemed more real because they shared a land mass with Germany’s forces so the possibility of invasion was very real. Also during the war it became apparent how important the natural resources of the Middle East were, both the U.S and the Soviet Union may have not been necessarily dependent of the Oil reserves of Iran, and Iraq at the time but the country’s need for oil was ever increasing because of their booming economies. So both the U.S and the Soviet Union raced to create positive relations with these countries in the Middle East so they could have access to their oil reserves. Over time and after failed attempts the Soviets seemed to feel slighted described by Khalidi “Stalin tried clumsily and in vain to achieve a strategic foothold and access to Iranian oil, by then the United States had already achieved both of these things, and clearly had no intention of relinquishing them.” (Khalidi 69). Khalidi goes on to describe that the the Soviet Union saw American progress as a threat to their national sovereignty and America saw moves made by the soviets to be extremely
Khalidi describes the both the Soviets and the United States entered World War Two for largely the same reasons, because they were both attacked. For the Soviet Union the attack was more of a threat to their own sovereignty and for the U.S the reason was generally the same but in the Soviet Union’s case the threat seemed more real because they shared a land mass with Germany’s forces so the possibility of invasion was very real. Also during the war it became apparent how important the natural resources of the Middle East were, both the U.S and the Soviet Union may have not been necessarily dependent of the Oil reserves of Iran, and Iraq at the time but the country’s need for oil was ever increasing because of their booming economies. So both the U.S and the Soviet Union raced to create positive relations with these countries in the Middle East so they could have access to their oil reserves. Over time and after failed attempts the Soviets seemed to feel slighted described by Khalidi “Stalin tried clumsily and in vain to achieve a strategic foothold and access to Iranian oil, by then the United States had already achieved both of these things, and clearly had no intention of relinquishing them.” (Khalidi 69). Khalidi goes on to describe that the the Soviet Union saw American progress as a threat to their national sovereignty and America saw moves made by the soviets to be extremely