The US backed absolute monarchies while the USSR backed Arab nationalists.

Evidence

Because both superpowers recognized the importance of the Middle East for furthering their Cold War objectives, they vied with one another to form alliances with regimes throughout the region. The Soviet Union generally sought alliances with Arab nationalist governments, such as in Egypt, whereas the United States preferred to throw its support behind absolute monarchies in countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran. Moreover, in accordance with the Eisenhower Doctrine of 1957, the US government opted for a more interventionist policy, promising financial and military aid to Middle Eastern countries threatened by international communism. — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 246

Categorization

• DEFINE: Definition box defines Arab socialism as state-sponsored economic development under Nasser and the Ba’ath Party.
• XREF: Monarchy-versus-secular-nationalism alignment parallels how US and USSR proxy wars split other world regions during the Cold War. — connects to: The Soviet Union granted the Algerian government de facto recognition at the U.N. — Horne, Alistair, A Savage War of Peace- Algeria 1954-1962, 1409; Cold War and oil interests drove US support for autocratic allies — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 298; US policy backed dictators and counterrevolution against the Arab Spring — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 580

Broader Connections

• Cold War and oil interests drove US support for autocratic allies #expands (0.70) — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 298
• US policy backed dictators and counterrevolution against the Arab Spring #exemplifies (0.60) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 580