Part 5, Chapter 28 Summary

In October 1971, the Shah of Iran hosted a gala celebrating the 2,500-year anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire. He was a man of enormous wealth, power, and pride who had stepped into pivotal new roles in the Middle East and on the international stage. With the U.S. digesting the "lessons of Vietnam" and anti-Americanism in vogue, now appeared to be a relatively safe time to challenge the superpower. Britain had been withdrawing from the world scene for decades, preoccupied with its own economic decline. In 1971, it abandoned the Persian Gulf, leaving a dangerous power vacuum. Needing a strong, friendly local power to serve as regional policeman, Nixon supported the Shah's quest to assume the role. In truth, he had little choice since the Soviets were arming neighboring Iraq, which also wanted to control the region and its oil...