The Foundations of the Arab State

This volume is the result of a major research project, the most important inquiry into the fundamental political structure of the Arab world. This book, Volume One in the "Nation, State and Integration in the Arab World" research project carried out by the Istituto Affari Internazionali, deals with the conceptual, historical, and cultural environment in which the contemporary Arab state system was established and has evolved. With contributions from established scholars in the field, this volume addresses the major issues posed by the emergence of contemporary Arab states, by their consolidation, the role played by foreign powers in their creation, and their future within the region.

First of the four volumes of the series Nation, State and Integration in the Arab World, the product of a three-year collective effort organised by the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI). Published also by Routledge. Chapters 1 and 5 already published in The International Spectator, Vol. 20, No. 2 (April-June 1985). Chapters 1, 5 and 8 published also in Giacomo Luciani (ed.), The Arab State, London, Routledge, 1990.