Britain and the Arab Gulf after Empire: Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, 1971-1981

Although Britains formal imperial role in the smaller, oil-rich Sheikhdoms of the Arab Gulf Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates ended in 1971, Britain continued to have a strong interest and continuing presence in the region. This book explores the nature of Britains role after the formal end of empire. It traces the historical events of the post-imperial years, including the 1973 oil shock, the fall of the Shah in Iran, and the beginnings of the IranIraq War; considers the changing positions towards the region of other major world powers, including the United States; and engages with debates on the nature of empire and the end of empire. The book is a sequel to the authors highly acclaimed previous books Britains Revival and Fall in the Gulf: Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the Trucial States, 195071 (Routledge 2004) and Ending Empire in the Middle East: Britain, the United States and Post-war Decolonization, 19451973 (Routledge 2012).