The Greater Middle East and the Cold War: US Foreign Policy Under Eisenhower and Kennedy by Roby C. Barrett

At the height of the Cold War, the US sought to maintain power and influence in the Greater Middle East--the region from Morocco to India--in the context of a growing threat from Russia and the decline of British imperialism. Roby Barrett casts fresh light on US foreign policy under Eisenhower and Kennedy, drawing on extensive research in archives and document collections from Kansas to Canberra and numerous interviews with key policy makers and observers from both the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations. He explores the application of the Cold War containment policy through economic development and security assistance, highlighting the fundamental similarities between the goals and application of foreign policy in the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations as well as the impact of British influence on the process. In the process this book draws some unexpected conclusions, arguing that Eisenhower’s policies were ultimately more successful than Kennedy’s, and offers an important revisionist contribution to our understanding of the Cold War and the Middle East.

Year: 2010

Paperback