Power Transferred? Britain, the United States, and the Gulf, 1956–71

Abstract

The 1956 Suez crisis and its aftermath have conventionally been seen as marking a turning point not merely in Anglo-American relations, but also in Britain's imperial destiny in the Middle East. From this time, it has been argued, a transfer of power took place, with the US assuming Britain's once dominant position. Some even claim that this development was welcomed by the British. Focusing on the Gulf region, this article reinterprets notions of British subservience to America and British eclipse in the Middle East. Far from anticipating a transfer of power to America in the wake of Suez, Britain clung tenaciously to its remaining assets in the region, while British statesmen were prepared to adopt policies in defiance of Washington. As regards US policy-makers, there was a marked reluctance to take over British positions in the Gulf, not least against the background of America's mounting preoccupation with the conflict in Vietnam.