| ID | 099059 |
| Title Proper | Exit Britain |
| Other Title Information | British withdrawal From the Palestine mandate in the early cold war, 1947-1948 |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Ravndal, Ellen Jenny |
| Publication | 2010. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The British decision to withdraw from the Palestine mandate in 1947-1948 may at first glance appear contradictory to British strategic interests. The Middle East and Palestine were vital to Britain's Cold War strategy, and its government repeatedly stated the need for a continued British presence in the region to prevent Soviet expansion. Why then withdraw from Palestine just as the Cold War started? The traditional explanation is that Britain withdrew because of economic exhaustion and its inability to remain a great power. But this article shows that economic and strategic considerations both contributed to the decision to withdraw. Britain's involvement in Palestine threatened to undermine its relations with the independent Arab states, and the decision to withdraw from Palestine was therefore taken in the hope that this would secure Britain's position in the rest of the Middle East. |
| `In' analytical Note | Diplomacy and Statecraft Vol. 21, No. 3; Sep 2010: p.416 - 433 |
| Journal Source | Diplomacy and Statecraft Vol. 21, No. 3; Sep 2010: p.416 - 433 |
| Key Words | Britain ; Early Cold War - 1947-1948 ; Arab States ; Cold War ; Palestine |