alternatehistory.com

The Baghdad Pact was an alliance signed between Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom in 1955. It was aimed at stopping Soviet influence in the region. However, it was a total failure. In 1958, after a revolution in Iraq overthrew the monarchy, it left the Pact, during the Arab-Israeli and Indo-Pakistani Wars it did nothing, and the Soviets opened up strong relations with many Middle East nations despite the alliance. It effectively died in 1974 with the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and Britain removing forces that were supposed to be used to provide the Baghdad Pact legitimacy, and was formally dissolved after the Iranian Revolution. What if this failed alliance never existed?

For one, could this mean that relations between Pakistan and the West are weaker? The main reason India allied with the USSR is because it felt betrayed by the US allying with Pakistan. With a weaker relationship with Pakistan, could the initially warm relations between India and the West continue?

Could this also mean that British jockeying in the Middle East is less obvious? Without a military alliance, suddenly Britain can ally with countries and jockey for oil without making their intentions clear with a literal military alliance with oil-producing nations.
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