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Kuwait in the past essay
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History Timeline of Kuwait
1899 – Fearing direct rule from Turkey, Sheikh Mubarak strikes a deal with Britain and Kuwait becomes a protectorate. Britain provides naval protection in return for Kuwait allowing London to control its foreign issues.
1937 - A lot of oil is discovered by the US-British Kuwait Oil Company.
1951 - Major public-works programme begins; Kuwait's infrastructure is transformed, residents enjoy a high standard of living.
1961 - June - Kuwait becomes independent with the end of the British protectorate; the sheikh becomes an emir. The country joins the Arab League. Iraq renews claims that Kuwait is part of its territory but backs down after British military intervention.
1963 – Elections held for National Assembly, under terms of newly-drafted constitution.
1976 – Emir suspends National Assembly, saying it is not acting in the country’s interests.
1980 – Iran-Iraq war, Kuwait supports Iraq strategically and financially.
1981 – National Assembly recalled, dissolved again in 1986.
1985-86 - Domestic security concerns, particularly about Iran's perceived influen...
The Persian Gulf War started on 17 January 1991 in response to Iraq’s invasion and annexation
Local authorities given financial assistance and access to building materials (which were in low supply at the end of the War) to build 1.25 million new permanent homes
The entry of the Ottoman Turks had carry the war into the middle east. The British had joined the Arabs and had gathered together to revolt against the Turkish rulers. After this unification between the two, they were able to take over and split the Ottoman area. They at first occupied the southern city of Iraqi named Basara in 1914 and then took over Baghdad in 1917. They then invaded Palestine and Syria in 1918. After The Ottoman Empire had been defeated, the thought of a rise for Arab independence was brought to attention. Though the allies had instead rejected that decision and instead replaced the Ottoman rule with British and French control. This had officially broken up The Ottoman
Simmons, Melinda and Amanda Price. “British Imperialism of Egypt.” British Imperialism of Egypt and the Sudan. 4 March 1998. 29 January 2010. .
Egypt has the Suez Canal, which is the fastest route to India and Australia, within it. The Suez was very important to Britain. Guarding the canal became a critical part of Britain’s foreign policy. Therefore, when fighting broke out in 1882, Britain took over the area and turned Egypt into a protectorate. Next the British turned their attention to Sudan. Water from the Nile River was essential to the people of Egypt. The British believed that they had to control the headwaters of the Nile to guard Egypt and the canal. Thus, in 1898 Britain conquered Sudan and made it a condominium.
“One Arab nation from Gulf to the Ocean,” gives meaning to the term “Pan-Arabism” in the Middle East. A notion where Arab nations transcend their state boundaries to form political mergers with other states and achieve an ‘Arab unity.’ The existence of Arab states had been tumultuous throughout the decline of the Muslim order, the end of the Ottoman Empire, the Palestinian defeat, Six Day War and Arab-Israeli war in 1973. This essay will critically examine Foud Ajami’s case for a raison d’état in the Middle East and his claim that there were six broad trends leading to the alteration of the balance of power away from Pan-Arabism and towards the state. It will be argued that Pan-Arabism was a romantic ideology that Arab states found convenient to support, all in advancement of their nationalistic state agendas. It was never a realistic endeavor that was physically undertaken by the Arab states and was thus never alive in a tangible sense. However, Pan-Arabism as an ideology had a place in the Middle East and was thus alive in an ideological sense.
Although the United Sates and Saudi Arabia present the United States and Saudi Arabia’s relationship as excellent, there are actually two nations who have bitter disagreements but who allies through oil. The only thing that has held this alliance together is the US dependence on Saudi oil. The United States has felt and still fells that it is a necessity to have bases present in the Middle East to protect oil, and silently to protect Israel. The relationship began in 1933 when Standard Oil of California signed an agreement with the Saudi government. In 1943 FDR affirmed that the defense of Saudi Arabia was a vital interest to the United States and moved troops into the region. Future presidents would emulate this declaration and mobilization of troops to Saudi Arabia. Again in 1945 Abd al Aziz, the Saudi king, and FDR would cement this alliance, on a US warship in the Suez Canal. Soon after, airfields were constructed at Dhahran and other spots over Saudi Arabia; beginning a long tradition of US military facilities in Saudi Arabia. Abd al Aziz was the first of his line of successors to meet with US presidents. The relationship was only strengthened with the onset on the Cold war, as the US used the bases in Saudi Arabia as potential air force launch sites to the USSR and constructed more military facilities. In 1941 Harry S. Truman made another assertion of Americas protection and alliance with Saudi Arabia to Abd Al Aziz. Truman stated that “support for Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity and political independence was a primary objective of the United States.” (Countrystudies.com) Another stipulation of this pact was that the US established a permanent military training mission in the Saudi Arabia. That mission lasted until 1992. Soon after the pact between Truman and Aziz was agreed upon the US-Saudi relationship would endure its first major disagreement. On May 14th, 1948 Israel was declared an independent state in the former Arab dominated Palestine. Israel’s independence was backed the United States. Saudi Arabia refused to acknowledge the country of Israel and to engage in any relations with them. The Saudis concerns of the Israel-US relationship were reinforced in the 1970’s and 1980’s when the US sold arms to Israel, but refused to sell arms to Saudi Arabia. In some cases congressional leaders refused to sell arms to Saudi Arabia on the grounds that Saudi Arabia might use them against Israel.
There is a point of time in certain a country’s history where they become dominant and more powerful than ever before. During this elongated process a country becomes an empire. The British and the Ottomans were states that succeeded in this process, but becoming an empire such as theirs required vast amounts of political and social maneuvering to expand their boundaries, called imperialism. Imperialism is, “a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force”. By becoming a modern nation enjoying economic prosperity and political stability, the British and the Ottomans created an imperialistic impact over the globe with distinctive motivations and approaches especially during the transition period of gaining ample amount power and influence globally.
Sudan’s history starting around 2600 was the kingdom of Nubia. The Nubian civilization was the Kursh, and that civilization prospered up to 350 A.D when Christion missionaries converted the region to the Christen faith in the 6th century. Arabs at this time had already conquered Egypt and eventually gained control of the area replacing Christianity with their own Muslim faith. In the 1500s people called the Funj conquered most of Sudan; Including the Dinka, Shilluk, Nuer, and Azande. In 1874, the Egyptians reconquered Sudan, ruling it for the next eight years until 1882 when Britain occupied Egypt taking over Sudan in 1898 running the country in conjunction with Egypt becoming known as Anglo-Egyptian Sudan for the next fifty seven years. From 1898 through 1955, the Anglo-Egyptian saw the growing Sudanese nationalists, and in 1953, Anglo-Egyptian granted the Sudanese self-government. On January 1, 1956, the beginning of Sudanese independence was recognized Egypt and Britain. (The Middle East, 2013) (CIA, 2013)
Since gaining its independence in 1956 from the United Kingdom and Egypt, Sudan has been a
Iran was included in the territory of what was then the ancient Persian Empire. For centuries Iran (land of the Aryans) was also referred to as Persia, which was the official name until 1935. Fourteen years had passed before the Iranian government allowed the use of both names. Few groups of people today have significant history like the Iranians, descending from the ancient Persians, who possess one of the world’s richest and oldest cultures. Historically, a variety of other cultures and groups had once occupied the ancient Iranian plateau as early as 4,000 B.C.E, with little importance. Beginning by the third millennium, Persia was ruled by some of the greatest kings of all time, from Cyrus the Great to Darius the III, who turned the Persian Empire into one of the world’s greatest civilizations.
Iraq’s history is one of both prosperity and violence, and dates back to the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia. While dominated by a variety of civilizations, the region enjoyed a relatively stable society. Since the birth of Islam, the religion has been the dominant cultural belief of the region, and has made its way into the laws and ruling of the region. (InDepth Info, 2010)
As the Arab Spring enters its second year, major uprisings and revolts have occurred all over the Middle East, pushing for an end to the corrupt autocratic rule and an expansion of civil liberties and political rights. Most recently, images from Syria have emerged, depicting the government’s use of force to suppress the voice of its people. One might ask, “Is this the beginning of a revolution? Is the country on the path to democracy?” To assess this question and examine the future trends in the region, one must look back on the country’s somewhat tumultuous history, the relationship between the citizens and the state, and the political economy.
The Fatimid Caliphates were a 10th century Ismacili Shici dynasty that conquered the Ikhshidid dynasty in Egypt. The Fatimids claimed lineage rights from the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter Fatima; and, existed during the Golden Age of Islam. “Unlike the cAbbasids or Umayyads, who were led by a caliph approved by the community, the Shica espoused the concept of designation, in which the Prophet Muhammad chose Ali as his successor and in which each subsequent religious leader was a divinely ordained, supreme, infallible Imam who had the final authority in both religious and social affairs.” In 909, the Fatimid was established by the self-proclaimed Imam, Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi, who migrated his missionary work through the Palestine and Egypt before he finally came to settle in North Africa in the city of Raqqada. Throughout history, there have been differing views towards the establishment and core objectives of the Fatimid dynasty being established for economic or for Islamic progression during the Golden Age of Islam; and further, many claimed there was no separation of religion and government within the Fatimid.
These key programmes are: meeting basic needs, developing our human resources, democratising the state and society, building the economy. There have been many successes with regards to implementing the Reconstruction and Development program. Three years into the program, there were many changes in the lives of the South Africans in rural areas. Free healthcare has been provided for women and children around the country. A nutrition project had reached over 12,000 schools in the country. With regards to health care, 550 clinics had been built and about 2500 were being reconstructed and improved. 1.3 million Electrical connections were made and 1 million water connections were made. In the year 2010; 2,376,675 households around South Africa were provided with houses with running water, sanitation and electricity. It is through providing these houses that job opportunities have been provided for the people. The Reconstruction and Development program aims at working together with the people to achieve the goals that have been set out. This has been achieved because the in the rural areas are the ones who are working on the project. They have a better source of income and at the same time they are working at meeting their basic needs which are housing, electricity and