ABSTRACT
The Soviet-Egyptian arms deal in September, 1955, was regarded at the time as the great turning point in the Middle East, the end of one era and the beginning of another. The fears of the West were less concerned with the good intentions than with the objective results of Colonel Nasser’s actions. There has been some evidence that there were some differences of opinion in Moscow regarding the new Egyptian alliance. The Baghdad Pact was unquestionably a calamity from Nasser’s point of view. He and his colleagues opposed a defensive alliance with the West because they thought it contrary to the national interest of the Arab world. The Bandung Conference was Nasser’s first trip abroad and a great personal success. The fight for Egypt’s national aspirations was, of course, also envisaged, but the immediate aim was to “put the house in order,” to establish an economic and social basis for this struggle.
