About this ebook
For the last twenty years, Putin’s Russia has weaponised its vast resources of oil and gas, trying to use them to dominate Ukraine and, later, with growing audacity, challenge NATO itself. But this is far from the first time this tactic has been used. Over the last 150 years, access to oil and gas has repeatedly been used as a tool to gain an advantage.
Looking at the global picture—including Vietnam, India, and Egypt—Guy Laron charts the connection between oil, gas, and political power from the First World War through the Cold War to the crises of today. He shows how political actors leveraged their power through key chokepoints: production sites, pipelines, and even refineries. Whilst at the same time, companies lobbied states to block rivals and eliminate competition. This has been a high-stakes game over the controlling heights of the world economy that continues until this very day.
About the author
Guy Laron is a senior lecturer in international relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of two books, Origins of the Suez Crisis and The Six-Day War. His op-eds have appeared in The Guardian, Le Monde Diplomatique, and American Prospect.
