Authors:
- Traces the interests and ties of external powers with Libya from the moment Italy decided to colonize the provinces of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica in 1911 until 2011
- Places current developments in Libya – and the role of external actors in particular – in their historical context
- Aims to overcome the compartmental and event-based nature of the mainstream narrative of Libya’s external relations
Part of the book series: Security, Conflict and Cooperation in the Contemporary World (SCCCW)
Buy it now
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Other ways to access
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check for access.
Table of contents (9 chapters)
-
Front Matter
-
Back Matter
About this book
Libya has a short, volatile history. Foreigners played a significant role in shaping Libya’s institutions and policies, and this book explores longer term trends in the relations between Libya and the West, placing current developments in their historical context. Throughout history, the globe’s most powerful actors have regarded Libya as an outlier state of little significance. Libya belonged neither here nor there and never fell under the full protection of any significant global or regional powerhouse. Libya’s weak national identity, its weak institutions and its peripheral position have made it vulnerable to external influences and interventions. As a result, Libya repeatedly falls prey to foreign powers wanting to flex their muscles. As this book narrates, this was the case in 1911, in 2011 and several times in between.
Reviews
“Saskia Van Genuggten’s book should be highly recommended to anyone wanting to gain a deeper understanding of the role of western countries in shaping Libya’s history.” (Krisztina, International Affairs Blog, medium.com, December, 2017)
“Libya in western foreign policies displays a solid grounding in contemporary Libyan history and deserves a wide audience. It provides a concise, readable summary of the central elements of Libyan foreign policy over the last century, making the book suitable for scholars and the general public alike. For those readers drawn to further study the topic, Van Genugten has provided an impressive bibliography of the most important works on the subject.” (Ronald Bruce, International Affairs, Vol. 93 (6), 2017)
“This monograph adds considerably to our knowledge of Western-Libyan relations over the last century, adopting a long durée approach to show how foreign interventions have shaped the character of the Libyan state over the last century. […] this monograph brings fresh new information to light and shows with particular effect how economic and diplomatic ties prospered in spite of Gaddafi’s ‘mad dog’ image.” (Willow Berridge, University of Northampton, UK)
Authors and Affiliations
-
Emirates Diplomatic Academy , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Saskia Van Genugten
About the author
Saskia van Genugten is Senior Researcher Fellow based in the United Arab Emirates. She has published extensively on developments in the MENA region and previously worked as Foreign Affairs Analyst at the Senate of the Netherlands.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Libya in Western Foreign Policies, 1911–2011
Authors: Saskia Van Genugten
Series Title: Security, Conflict and Cooperation in the Contemporary World
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-48950-0
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan London
eBook Packages: History, History (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-137-48949-4Published: 07 June 2016
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-349-69621-5Published: 19 December 2018
eBook ISBN: 978-1-137-48950-0Published: 18 May 2016
Series ISSN: 2731-6807
Series E-ISSN: 2731-6815
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: VII, 187
Topics: History of North Africa, Modern History, History of Military