Table of Contents

Contents: Foreword by Moshe Maoz; Introduction; Elite Politics in Syria and Egypt; Defining the Elite; Middle Eastern Elites; The Syrian Elite; The Egyptian Elite; The Road to the Union; The Syrian Attitude toward Arab Unity; The Egyptian Attitude toward Arab Unity; Egyptian-Syrian Relations: From Conflict to Co-operation; Syrian Unrest Intensifies; The Syrian Army and Union; The US Position toward the Union; Countdown to Union; Establishing the Union: The Political Sphere; The Institutional Framework; The Arab World: Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq; First Political Changes; Establishing the Union: The Economic Sphere; (March 1958-February 1959); Early Efforts at Economic Integration; The Agrarian Reform Law; Toward a More Integrated Economy; The Higher Ministerial Committee (HMC); A Widening Rift: The Political and Economic Spheres; The Impact of the Iraqi Shawwaf Revolt; Elections to the National Union; Amir's Mission in Syria; The Resignation of the Bath Ministers; The Question of Foreign Aid; The Road to Collapse: The Political Sphere; Egypt Tightens its Control; The Formation of the National Union; Attempts at Creating a UAR National Identity; The Formation of the National Assembly; Sarraj's Rule Consolidated; The Road to Collapse: The Economic Sphere; Attempts to Alleviate the Economic Predicament; Toward an Economic Integration; The Impact of the July 1961 Decrees; Syria's Secession from the UAR; Political Integration; The Military Take-over; Syrian Reactions to Secession; Egyptian Responses to Secession; The End of a Dream; Developments in Syria; Developments in Egypt; The Aleppo Insurrection; The Shtura Meeting; The Cairo Tripartite Talks and Beyond; Conclusions; Index.

About the Author

Elie Podeh is Lecturer in the Department of Islam and Middle Eastern Studies, at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Research Fellow at The Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace.

Reviews

In spite of its short duration, the rise and demise of the United Arab Republic the union between Egypt and Syria (195861) is considered a seminal episode in the modern history of the Arab world. At the time, many Arabs hoped that the union would herald realization of the pan-Arab dream, but its disintegration shattered this dream beyond repair. With the wisdom of hindsight it is also clear that this episode had a significant, lasting impact on the evolution of Arab politics. -- From the Foreword by Moshe Maoz, author of "Asad: The Sphinx of Damascus"
A superb narrative and analysis long overdue. -- Choice Outstanding Academic Book
"An important book. Podehs is the most reliable of the histories of the union." -- The International History Review