The Sadat Presidency: A New Era in Soviet Egyptian Relations

Abstract

The choice of Sadat as President was confirmed by plebiscite on 15 October 1970. His era marked a radical shift in the underlying elements of Egypt’s internal and external policies. In order to understand the nature of the goals, means and style of Sadat’s policy, with its consequences for Soviet—Egyptian relations, it is necessary to focus on his perception of international and regional politics, including, for example, the superpowers’ moves towards detente; the military balance between Israel and the Arab countries; and the inter-Arab world competition. Sadat had his own methods of manipulating the constraints on Egypt and using its capabilities in developing foreign policy at local, regional and global levels.