The Cold War and Decolonisation in the Middle East and North Africa in the mid-1950s

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H02487
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: International relations
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Ikeda Ryo 東北大学, 国際文化研究科, 教授 (60447589)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 脱植民地化 / 冷戦 / 中東 / 北アフリカ / イギリス / フランス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The research results can be divided into two categories: the first is concerned with French decolonisation policy. France turned to decolonisation policy in 1954 over North African issues and this resulted in the decolonisation of overseas territories in Sub-Saharan Africa and, ultimately, in the simultaneous independence of those territories in 1960. The second category deals with the aftermath of the Suez Crisis. Previous works have argued that after the Crisis, Britain was forced to withdraw its troops because of pressure from the United States and international society, and to accept a major decline of influence in the Middle East. However, this research emphasises that Britain was able to minimise the retreat by obtaining support from the United States and the United Nations.

Free Research Field

国際政治史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

アフリカの年と言われる1960年に多くの植民地が独立したが、フランスの方針転換の理由は従来十分に分析されてこなかった。本研究はこれを初めて分析したものであり、同時にアフリカでフランスの影響力が依然として強いことを議論している。またスエズ危機後についても先行研究とは大きく異なる議論であり、この結果、中東での西側権益の存続、現在でも根強い英米関係の紐帯について一定の分析を行うことができた。