Throughout the twentieth century, the history of oil and the history of international relations have been interlinked. Petroleum has become central to the modern military and industrial economy, yet the main areas of production have increasingly been in the less developed world (particularly the Middle East, Latin America and North Africa), whilst until recently the main consumers of petroleum were the technologically advanced, highly industrialized regions such as Europe, North America and Japan. Thus, questions of access to, and control of, the oil resources of the world have continually exercised Western governments. In the early years of the twentieth century, control over oil resources was seen as an important element in the exercise of imperial control, whilst producing governments increasingly sought control over their own oil resources. As the Middle East became more important as a source of petroleum, the history of oil became inextricably linked with events in that region, including the Arab-Israeli conflict.
This course considers these different aspects of oil diplomacy, together with the diplomatic consequences of the domination of the oil industry by the large multinational oil companies, and the impact of the formation of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). It also considers the role of oil diplomacy in broader themes in international relations, such as imperialism; the role of multinational corporations in the world economy; Third World nationalism; the changing relationships between the developed and developing nations; and the consequences of the Cold War and perceptions of national security for the conduct of oil diplomacy. It examines the immense impact of the oil crisis of 1973 for international relations, including developments in the Middle East, and how events in the Persian Gulf since the Iranian Revolution of 1979 have influenced oil diplomacy, up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Finally, it will explore the impact of new areas of production (such as the Caspian Sea) and the emergence of new major consumers, such as China.
This course considers these different aspects of oil diplomacy, together with the diplomatic consequences of the domination of the oil industry by the large multinational oil companies, and the impact of the formation of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). It also considers the role of oil diplomacy in broader themes in international relations, such as imperialism; the role of multinational corporations in the world economy; Third World nationalism; the changing relationships between the developed and developing nations; and the consequences of the Cold War and perceptions of national security for the conduct of oil diplomacy. It examines the immense impact of the oil crisis of 1973 for international relations, including developments in the Middle East, and how events in the Persian Gulf since the Iranian Revolution of 1979 have influenced oil diplomacy, up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Finally, it will explore the impact of new areas of production (such as the Caspian Sea) and the emergence of new major consumers, such as China.