Nationalist coup in North Yemen and its impact on regional geopolitics

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The chapter delves into the nationalist coup in North Yemen in 1962 that deposed the traditional Zaydi imam and sparked a civil war drawing in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. It explores the historical context of Yemen's isolation and clash with modern forces like Nasser's pan-Arabism, leading to internal conflicts and external interventions. The chapter also discusses the fears of imperialist strategists, the clash between republican and monarchical forces in the region, and the complex geopolitical maneuvers involving Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the US.

Featuring Abdel Razzaq Takriti, this is the TWELFTH episode of Thawra (Revolution), our mini-series on Arab radicalism in the 20th century. Today’s installment tells the story of Saudi Arabia, a country whose reactionary, US-aligned trajectory was throughout the 1950s and 60s challenged by labor strikes, dissident currents, rebellious princes, and an anticolonial oil minister. But Saudi royal conservatism asserted itself and a friendship with Nasser’s Egypt turned into conflict. Ultimately both countries got drawn into North Yemen’s civil war, which sapped Egypt’s military strength ahead of the 1967 war with Israel. Plus: radical politics against British colonial power in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the Trucial States. Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig Check out our newsletter and vast archives at thedigradio.com Buy tickets for live Dig with Jeremy Corbyn in London: unionchapel.org.uk/venue/whats-on/versothe-dig-live-podcast-with-jeremy-corbyn-laleh-khalili Buy Twilight Prisoners at haymarketbooks.com Buy Automatic Fetish at versobooks.com