POLS 157 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Saud Of Saudi Arabia, Hashemites, Classical Age Of The Ottoman Empire
24 Feb 2020
School
Department
Course
Professor
Saudi Arabia
February 10th
− Custodian of the holiest sites of Islam lends religious legitimacy to the state
− Massive amounts of oil wealth
− In the 1700s alliance in Arabian Peninsula between al-Saud families in al-Wahab, a traveling
preacher
• Pseudo state fell apart with the Ottoman growth
− When Ottoman broke up comma the two families were still around
• Saudis pushed Hashemites out of Mecca and Medina area, who had overthrown the
ottomans in the Peninsula; Seized territory in Peninsula
Hashemites controlled Jordan and Syria
− In WWII the US needed air bases in the Middle East as well as oil
• Roosevelt met with the Saudi King and formed an alliance
US protect Saudi Arabia from internal and external threats
Saudi Arabia would stabilize oil production and provide an air base
− Oil prospecting in Saudi Arabia began in the 1930s, US company controlled most aspects of
the industry
− Saudi Arabia at odds with the Soviet Union who were pushing radical nationalists in the
region
• US teamed up to Give Saudi religious legitimacy and undermine communism in the
Middle East
“Pope of Islam” strategy did not work
• Saudi Arabia helped keep Soviets out of the Middle East
− King Saud named the king when his father, the nation's founder died; Poor leader,
irresponsible
• Overthrown in 1964 by his brother Faisal
− Saudi Arabia had ongoing tensions with Egypt over Pan-Arabism and civil war in Yemen
• The monarch in Yemen was overthrown, who Saudi Arabia had supported; Nasser
supported the rebels
Civil war in Yemen was a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Egypt
(1) Egypt seen as a direct threat to the Saudi monarchy
− Saudi Arabia lead an oil embargo, spiking oil prices, from within OPEC
− After 1967, Pan-Arabism faded and Saudi Arabia champion Islamism with great influence in
the Middle East
• King Faisal was the symbol of this and widely admired
− King Faisal was assassinated after pushing reforms like banning slavery & creating a national
TV station
− In 1979 the Iranian Revolution saw the Shah overthrown and radical regime emerge
− Apocalyptic cult seized Mecca and declared the leader their Messiah
− Shia activism spread following the Iranian revolution and revolutionary Islamic radicals
increased their presence
− Saudi Arabia helped the US out in Afghanistan in the fight against the Soviet Union
Document Summary
Custodian of the holiest sites of islam lends religious legitimacy to the state. In the 1700s alliance in arabian peninsula between al-saud families in al-wahab, a traveling preacher: pseudo state fell apart with the ottoman growth. When ottoman broke up comma the two families were still around: saudis pushed hashemites out of mecca and medina area, who had overthrown the ottomans in the peninsula; seized territory in peninsula. In wwii the us needed air bases in the middle east as well as oil: roosevelt met with the saudi king and formed an alliance. Us protect saudi arabia from internal and external threats. Saudi arabia would stabilize oil production and provide an air base. Oil prospecting in saudi arabia began in the 1930s, us company controlled most aspects of the industry. Saudi arabia at odds with the soviet union who were pushing radical nationalists in the region: us teamed up to give saudi religious legitimacy and undermine communism in the.
