La nazionalizzazione delle risorse strategiche: i casi di Iran ed Egitto

6 ABSTRACT Neo-colonialism and Nationalization The phase after the Second World War is known as the period of Decolonization. This is the arc of time when colonized nations of Asia and Africa, lead by nationalistic movements, made themselves independent from the Western colonial Powers. This formal independence wasn‟t followed by substantial independence because many new States remained economically dependent on the previous imperialistic powers. From the 1950s Neocolonialism was coined. This indicates the form of control exercised by Western powers over a previous colony based on economic dependence and military occupation. In some cases this control continued, in other cases the newly independent States harshly opposed this. Among these States we mention Egypt and Iran, which in fifty Years carried out two important forms of nationalization. Iran, guided by Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeq, in 1951 decided to interrupt relations with Great Britain by nationalizing the oil industry. This decision put him in a position of strong conflict with Iranian monarchy, which in 1953 supported the Anglo American ”coup d‟etat” that ended Mossadeq‟s government. A few years later, Egypt also became protagonist of nationalization. The Suez Canal, considered the most important route of commerce in the world, joining European ports with Far East. In 1956 the Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser announced the nationalization. As answer to his decision, the Western Powers France, Great Britain and Israel, whose access to Suez Canal was refused since 1948, attacked Egypt by sea and by land. Due to