Relations between Nazi Germany and the Arab world

Relations between Nazi Germany (1933–1945) and the Arab world ranged from indifference, fear, animosity, and confrontation ^[1][2] to collaboration.^[3][4][5] In terms of confrontation, the Arab intellectual elite was very critical towards Nazism, which was perceived as a totalitarian, racist, antisemitic and imperialist phenomenon. It was criticized both by the liberals and by the Marxists and left-wing nationalists who denounced Nazism as another form of imperialism.^[6] Nazi Germany used collaborators and propaganda throughout the Arab world in search of alliance for their political goals.^[7][8] For some Arab and Muslim leaders the Nazi hostility towards the United Kingdom and France - which held colonies in the Arab World - offered an avenue of cooperation. This hostility was used in Nazi propaganda to allege an anti-colonial common interest that Nazi Germany held.^[9] However this interest conflicted with interests of Nazi Germany's allies who also had colonies in the Arab world, namely Spain, Vichy France and Italy, and thus had to manage competing interests in the region.

One notable example was the Anglo-Iraqi War, when the Golden Square (a political clique of four generals led by Rashid Ali al-Gaylani) overthrew the pro-British 'Abd al-Ilah regency in Iraq and installed a pro-Axis government which was swiftly overthrown by British forces with the help of local Christian Assyrian levies.^[10][11][12] German Arabic propaganda was launched to stoke anti-Allied sentiment in the region.^[13] In 1941, the German Foreign Office noted:

'The Islamic concept of Holy War cannot be applied with the current distribution of powers. Arabism and Islam are not congruent. The Arabs that we have to take into account do not fight in favor of religious, but political goals. Matters of Islam need to be dealt with in a tactful manner."^[14]

In public and private, Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler made complimentary statements about Islam as both a religion and a political ideology, describing it as a more disciplined, militaristic, political, and practical form of religion than Christianity is, and commending what they perceived were Muhammad's skills in politics and military leadership.^[15] Minor Nazi party branches were established in the Middle East before the war by local German diaspora.^[16] In June 1941, Wehrmacht High Command Directive No. 32 and the "Instructions for Special Staff F" designated Special Staff F as the Wehrmacht's central agency for all issues that affected the Arab world.^[17] Nazi Germany sent officials and military equipment to Middle Eastern forces fighting alongside Axis powers during the Middle East theatre of World War II.

Despite Amin al-Husseini's efforts to acquire German backing for Arab independence, Hitler refused to support them, remarking that he "wanted nothing from the Arabs". Nazi Germany was reluctant to initiate disputes with the Italian Empire or Vichy France colonies.^[18]