ABSTRACT

The euphoria of the revolutionary moment and the force of the new Soviet power were reflected, among other things, in the proliferation of communist parties that adhered to the orthodoxy emanating from Moscow. Communist parties underwent significant changes and their evolution affected the entire Left and social movements. The impact of the communist parties and their development in the Middle East remains largely unexplored and academic literature on the question continues to be lacking. The Baghdad Pact, which formed a few weeks before Bandung, was seen as a direct threat in the Middle East. In many early twentieth-century societies in the Middle East and North Africa, especially in the rural world, the main solidarity and identity structures were still based more on clan and clientelistic ties and on Ibn Khaldun’s asabiyyah than on class identity and solidarity. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.