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Trade, Politics, and Struggle for Power: Soviet Diplomacy on the Saudi-Arabian Track between the 1920s and 1930s
 
Код статьиS086919080031491-7-1
DOI10.31696/S086919080031491-7
Тип публикации Статья
Статус публикации Опубликовано
Авторы
Наумкин Виталий Вячеславович 
Должность: Научный руководитель Института востоковедения РАН; Декан Восточного факультета Государственного академического университета гуманитарных наук
Аффилиация:
Институт востоковедения РАН
Государственный академический университет гуманитарных наук
Адрес: Москва, Россия
Название журналаВосток. Афро-Азиатские общества: история и современность
ВыпускВыпуск 4
Страницы190-203
Аннотация

The article is dedicated to exploring a most critical phase in the relationships between the USSR and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on the basis of documents available with the RF Foreign Policy Archive and British archives. The period under scrutiny covers the late 1920-s until early 1930-s, when the relationships between the USSR and the KSA were undergoing an active development phase due to Moscow’s growing prestige on the international arena. Many of the archival materials are introduced into the science domain for the first time by the author. The article highlights a personal agency factor in the work of the Soviet diplomacy along the Saudi Arabia track, including a contribution made by Soviet Plenipotentiaries to the KSA Karim Hakimov and Nazir Tyuryakulov into the promotion of bilateral contacts and the success achieved by them. Certain circumstances underlying the crisis experienced by Georgy Chicherin, the People’s Commissar of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, during the last years of his office tenure, and his disagreement with the heads of other agencies are revealed. The specific aspects of work of the Soviet diplomats under harsh local environment are analyzed, also the information communicated by them to the Center from Jeddah, which adequately portrayed the situation in the Kingdom, is disclosed. The importance of their ideas to facilitate commercial ties with the KSA and allow the Soviet products to access the Saudi market is underlined, likewise the expediency of transforming the Soviet Diplomatic agency and General Consulate into a Permanent Diplomatic Representation, its head becoming the Doyen of the diplomatic corps during that period.

Ключевые словаKingdom of Saudi Arabia, People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs, Karim Khakimov, Nazir Tyuryakulov, Ibn Saud, reformatting, rebellion of Ikhwans, Joseph Stalin, trade, dual state, Georgy Chicherin, Great Britain, Maksim Litvinov
Получено01.08.2024
Дата публикации25.08.2024
Кол-во символов55153
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Оглавление

Foreword
Chicherin Steps Down
Assessment of the Status of Relationships between the USSR and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Early 1930-s by the Soviet Diplomats in Jeddah
Ibn Saud Seeks Rapprochement with London
Conclusion
1

Foreword
2 The turn of the 1920s – early 1930-s was the time of substantial changes in the policies pursued by the Soviet Union in the Arab West, when the emphasis was placed on two tracks – fostering relationships with the only two formally independent states in the region: first, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (this name was given to the state in 1932, when the Kingdom of Hijaz and the Sultanate of Nejd with the newly annexed areas were formally merged under King Abd al-Aziz bin Saud)1 and, second, the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen. The evolution of Soviet policies along the Saudi track is reviewed, in particular, in the writings of such Soviet/Russian authors, as I.A. Alexandrov (I.A. Melikhov), A.V. Vasilyev, A.G. Georgiev (A.G. Aksenenok), G.G. Kosach, T.A. Mansurov, Y.S. Melkumyan, O.B. Ozerov, V.V. Ozoling, N.I. Proshin, A.I. Yakovlev2 and others, and also in the conceptually close works by Saudi and Western authors, published in the Russian translation (above all others, Majed al-Turki and Awadh al-Badi /Synopsis of a Thesis/ as well as Natana DeLong-Bas3). 1. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz bin ‘Abd al-Rahman Al Sa‘ud (born in 1877, ruled until his death in 1953) – the founder and ruler of the Saudi state. Hereinafter, everywhere in the article: Ibn Saud.

2. Alexandrov I.А. The Persian Gulf Monarchies: Modernization Stage. М.: Delo i Service, 2000; Vasilyev А.М. The History of Saudi Arabia. М.: Klassika Plus, 1999; Georgiev А.G. The Oil Monarchies of Arabia: Development Problems. М.: Nauka, 1983; Kosach G.G., Melkumyan Y.S. The Foreign Policy of Saudi Arabia: Priorities, Tracks, Decision Making Process. М.: The Middle East Institute, М, 2003.; Mansurov Т.А. Plenipotentiary Representative Nazir Tyuryakulov. Diplomat. Politician. М.: Citizen, 2003; Ozerov О.B. Karim Hakimov: Life Chronicle. М.: КМК Science Publications Partnership, 2020; Ozoling V.V. The Oil Monarchies of Arabia. Development Problems. М:, 1983; Proshin N.I. Saudi Arabia: an Essay on History and Economy. М.: Nauka, 1964; Yakovlev А.I. Saudi Arabia: Evolution Paths. М.: IV RAN (Institute of Oriental Studies), 1999.

3. . Аl-Тurki М. The Saudi-Russian Relationships in the Global and Regional Processes (1926–2004). М.: 2005; Аl-Badi А. Saudi-Jordanian Relations: Territorial Rivalry over the Al Jouf and Wadi as-Sirhan Border Areas. Thesis in Candidacy for a Degree of Ph.D of Historical Sciences (Adviser V.V. Naumkin). М.: Institute of Oriental Sciences, Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). 1998; DeLong-Bas N. “Wahhabi Islam: From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad”. Under the editorship and with a preface by Vitaly V. Naumkin. М.: Ladomir, 2010.
3

These changes in the USSR policies of that time found their way, in particular, into the replacement of the senior management echelon of the USSR Foreign Ministry and also of the heads of the Soviet diplomatic missions in the abovementioned Arab states, which signaled transformation in the domestic political environment of the Soviet Union and resulted in the consolidation of all the levers of power in Joseph Stalin’s hands. A high priority in the activities of the Soviet diplomacy along the Saudi track was attached to the fight aimed at making progress with the drafts of political and trade agreements between the USSR and Saudi Arabia, withstanding competition with the UK and counteracting the pro-UK Saudi elites, as well as undertaking efforts to promote the bilateral Soviet-Saudi trade and economic contacts. The introduction of new materials into scholarly discourse allows to uncover and theoretically assess an entire body of formerly unknown or little known facts, thus helping us to bring the research of this period in the history of Soviet-Saudi relationships, essential for the understanding of the circumstances behind the evolution of the Soviet policies towards the Middle East, to a new higher level. A crucial role in this process was played by Georgy V. Chicherin, the People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs4.

 4. Chicherin, Georgy Vassilievich (1872-1936) – a Russian Revolutionary, Russian and Soviet statesman, diplomat (1872 – 1936), Deputy People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs in 1918, People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the RSFSR, then the USSR throughout 1918 – 1930, member of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks throughout 1925 – 1930).
4

Chicherin Steps Down
5 In the late 1920s Georgy Chicherin, as can be judged from the available documents, is experiencing a serious personal crisis associated both with his deteriorating health and the deep frustration he is experiencing because of the strengthening of Joseph Stalin’s personal power, the first repressions in the country, and the unsuccessful attempts to organize the work of the NKID (RCFA) and achieve implementation of Chicherin’s own ideas about what the foreign policy of the Soviet Union should be. In addition, Stalin now personally decided all questions of the country’s foreign policy solely in the Politburo, and the People’s Commissar felt oppressed by his clearly diminished role in decision-making.
6 In September 1928, shortly after the completion of the process of the Shakhtinsky case, the People’s Commissar again left for treatment in Germany, but now he stayed there for quite a long time. This did not mean that Chicherin was completely removed from political work, but his deputy, Maksim Litvinov5, later stated that he had actually ran the People’s commissariat over 1928-1930 when Georgy Chicherin had been only formally still occupying the post of People’s Commissar6. One can hardly agree with the opinion of Timothy E. O’Connor [О’Коннор, 1991, с. 231] and some other foreign biographers of the People’s Commissar, that after Chicherin’s resignation, there was a new line of Stalin – “to get rid of all members of the intelligentsia” in the leadership of the country. However, that was not the point. Firstly, Chicherin, whose health had deteriorated sharply, really needed serious treatment, which he had previously undergone in Germany. Secondly, Stalin in the later years of terrible mass repressions showed a seemingly inexplicable special attitude to certain prominent members of the Soviet intelligentsia, who escaped the most tragic fate. Thirdly, after the long years of hard work at the post of People’s Commissar, Chicherin, sometimes did not demonstrate his readiness to accept some new standards of life of the state and society, which the leader of the Soviet state had introduced. 5. Litvinov Maxim Maximovich (Meer-Genokh Movshevich Vallakh, 1876 – 1951) – Russian Revolutionary, Russian and Soviet statesman, diplomat, RSFSR diplomatic representative in the US in July 1918, RSFSR Plenipotentiary Representative in the UK in July-September 1918, in 1921 – 1930 – Deputy People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the RSFSR, then the USSR, People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR throughout 1930 – 1939, member of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (the Bolsheviks) throughout 1934 – 1941, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in the US throughout 1941 – 1943. Wife – Low-Litvinova Ivy Walterovna (1889 – 1977) – an English and Soviet writer, translator.

6. “Conversation of the People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs, Com. M.M. Litvinov with Foreign Correspondents”. Izvestiya. 26 July 1930.
7 An unsent secret letter by Georgy Vassilyevich, written by him in the form of testament before resigning in early July 1930, addressed to Valerian Kuibyshev7, whom Georgy Chicherin really wanted to see as his successor, spoke much about the changed situation in the country, which could not but affect the NKID. It is difficult to say whether the choice of the People's Commissar was due to Kuibyshev's business acumen, as he did not in fact have big experience in foreign policy, or due to Chicherin’s sympathies which he had never concealed to professionals and well-educated people who came from intelligentsia and even from the nobility, why the Bolshevik leaders from the bottom felt mistrust and even hostility towards him. Hostile relations, long established between the People’s Commissar and Maksim Litvinov made the situation worse. However, it was Litvinov who was appointed as the new People’s Commissar, as a result of which the note remained in the classified personal archive of Georgy Chicherin. The testament-letter8 contained a lot of unflattering assessments on a number of high-positioned figures sometimes dictated by the hostile relations they had developed with the Commissar. Below are some of the individual provisions of the complete version of this document (there were all in all four of it). It reads: “Notes for Kuibyshev, the new NKID,” and at the top of the document: “Not sent due to the appointment of Litvinov. July 1930.” The document begins like this: 7. Kuibyshev Valerian Vladimirovich (1888 – 1935) – a prominent Soviet Communist Party and government leader, member of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (of the Bolsheviks) throughout 1922 – 1923 and member of the Central Committee Politburo throughout 1927 – 1935. His third wife, Galina, was the daughter of Revolutionaries: a well-known diplomat, the first Ambassador of the USSR in the US A.A. Troyanovsky and Y.F. Rozmirovich, former wife of People’s Commissar for Justice N.V. Krylenko.

8. https//idd.mid.ru/ru_RU/informacionno-spravocnye-materialy/asset_publisher/WsjViuPpktam/content/neizvestnyj-cicerin-cast-2-

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