Nasser’s Balancing Strategy and the Aswan Dam

Nasser built his military and pursued outside support because he wanted autonomy, domestic authority, and development projects such as the Aswan Dam. He also considered Sudan a possible arena for military success until Britain made clear that it would resist such a move. Nasser then balanced Western finance against Eastern Bloc arms while placing Egyptian interests and his own political position ahead of either superpower camp. In this interpretation, Britain's refusal to fund the dam turned a difficult but potentially workable relationship into direct confrontation.