The rise and fall of Soviet influence in Egypt.

• Main Author: Bradford, Gregory Hale
• Other Authors: Amos, J.
• Language: en_US
• Published: Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School 2012
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10945/17929

Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. === Russia has desired a foothold in the Middle East since the time of Peter the Great. Russia wanted access to the Middle East for both military and commerical reasons. This foreign policy objective met with varying degrees of success until the mid 1950' s when it appeared that the Soviet Union finally had her entry into the Middle East. After the Egyptian revolt of 1952 the new government turned to the West and the United States for aid and arms. Egypt was turned down repeatedly. Egypt then turned to the USSR. By 1957 Russia had the Mid East presence she so long desired. The Soviet influence in Egypt grew to enormous proportions throughout the Nasser years. After Nasser's death in 1970 it appeared that the same strong relationship would continue between Egypt and the Soviet Union, but that was not to be. Russia had failed to understand the Egyptian people and the Egyptian government and had failed to deliver the kind of arms and aid that Sadat requested. In 1972 Sadat expelled most of the Russian advisors and technicians and the relationship began a steady decline until the spring of 1976 when there was a virtual break between the Egyptians and the Russians. Now (after 1975) Egypt has turned to the West once again. The United States has an opportunity to regain valuable lost ground in Egypt and the Middle East. The US must learn from the lessons of the recent past and deal pragmatically with Egypt's requests for arms and aid in order to re-establish lost American influence and prestige in Egypt