This collection of studies by Helmut Mejcher is published on the occasion of his seventieth birthday. It testifies to a lifetime of research on the history of the Middle East and North Africa. The articles examine imperialist schemes and designs by the Western Powers for a new order in the region; the struggle of the Arab states to find their own way; the impact of oil and the socio-economic changes it entailed; and historical turning points in the course of the 20 th century.