Compares the crucial role of Arab armies in state building, a decade after the 2011 Arab Uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria.

The Arab-Israel Six Day War in June 1967 riveted world attention on the huge quantities of sophisticated weapons amassed in the arsenals of the Middle East – and left in its wake tangled political-military dilemmas and the intensification of the most dangerous arms race in the nonindustrialized world. How do major upheavals spread across borders so easily in the Middle East? What is the role of the military in the process of modernization? How can the rash of military coups be explained? Why is Israel, the most vigorous democracy in the Middle East, also the most vigorously mobilized and armed nation? J. C. Hurewitz, Professor of Government at Columbia University’s School of International Affairs, believes the answers to these and other pressing questions of Middle Eastern politics can be found only in a thorough examination of civil-military relations in each country, whether it is under military rule or not. The Middle East, as defined in this book, comprises eighteen states, stretching from Morocco to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Probing the role of the military in each state, the author assesses such other factors as the geographical and regional influences on specific national developments. Dominating all are the ramifications of the competing American and Soviet policies for the region. Through his analysis of the cold war tactics of the two Great Powers, and of the bewildering arms races and the confusion of military politics that these tactics have engendered, Professor Hurewitz brings into much clearer perspective the options for the West, and particularly for the United States, in this area. He has provided, in sum, an informative and fully documented study of the whole interplay of domestic, regional, and international politics in the postwar Middle East.

This exciting new book for students of Middle Eastern politics provides a comprehensive introduction to the complexities of the region, its politics and people. Combining a thematic framework for examining patterns of politics with individual chapters dedicated to specific countries, the book explores current issues within an historical context. Presenting information in an accessible and inclusive format, the book offers: coverage of the historical influence of colonialism and major world powers on the shaping of the modern Middle East a detailed examination of the legacy of Islam analysis of the political and social aspects of Middle Eastern life: alienation between state and society, poverty and social inequality, ideological crises and renewal case studies on countries in the Northern Belt (Turkey and Iran); the Fertile Crescent (Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, Israel and Palestine); and those West and East of the Red Sea (Egypt and the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council). extensive pedagogical features, including original maps and detailed further reading sections, provide essential support for the reader. A key introductory text for students of Middle Eastern politics and history at advanced undergraduate and postgraduate levels, this book will also be a significant reference for policy-makers and any motivated reader.

Amidst the turmoil in the Middle East, Jordan has presented a striking example of relative stability, and in this study, first published in 1967, Professor Vatikiotis sets out to show just how far Jordan’s stability depends on its army. The Jordan Arab Army, for long better known as the Arab Legion, was one of the best small fighting forces in the Middle East. Raised in 1921 by the late King Abdullah, the legion helped him to pacify the tribes and establish and extend his rule and authority over a fractious society in a region of vast desert expanses. The Legion then expanded into a disciplined military institution, but whereas the armies of several Arab states were involved in coups, the Jordan Arab Army has no such record. In this book, the author examines the particular historical conditions from which a state emerged in Jordan, and the role of the Arab Legion in its creation and consolidation.

Armies of Arabia is the first comprehensive analysis of the Gulf monarchies' armed forces, including their political, social, and economic characteristics, foreign relations, and battleground performance. The Arabian Peninsula is among the most strategically and economically important areas in the world, but its militaries remain terra incognita. In Armies of Arabia - the first book to comprehensively analyze the Gulf monarchies' armed forces - Zoltan Barany explains their notorious ineffectiveness with a combination of political-structural and sociocultural factors. Drawing on over 150 interviews and meticulous multidisciplinary research, Barany paints a fascinating portrait of Arabia's armies from Ibn Saud's Ikhwan to the present. He explores the methods ruling families employ to ensure their armies' loyalty, examines the backgrounds and career trajectories of soldiers and officers, and explains the monarchies' reliance on mercenaries and the enduring importance of tribal networks. Even though no other world region spends more on security, Arabia's armies remain ineffective because of an absence of meritocracy, the domination of personal connections over institutional norms, insipid leadership, a casual work ethic, and training that lacks intensity, frequency, and up-to-date scenarios. Massive weapons acquisitions are primarily pay-offs to the US for protecting them and have resulted in bloated and inappropriate arsenals and large-scale corruption. Barany explains why the Gulf Cooperation Council has been a squandered opportunity and examines the kingdoms' military relationships with the Arab world and beyond. The performance of the Saudi-led coalition's disastrous war in Yemen starkly illustrates the Gulf armies' humiliating combat record. The book concludes with thoughts on waste (of human potential, resources, institutions) as a dominant theme of Gulf military affairs, considers likely changes in response to long-term weakening demand for oil, and suggests ways in which the armies' effectiveness could be raised. Chock-full of insights and stories from the field and written with a general audience in mind, Armies of Arabia will be essential reading for anyone interested in military affairs and Middle Eastern politics, society, and international relations.