Thanks to the discovery of petroleum in 1959, the Libya situation change drastically. The step morning overnight from being a country immersed in poverty to one countries richest of the African continent. However, control of the oil business was in the hands of seven large companies English and American that concert handled nearly seventy percent of the sale of oil as a result only a small part of earnings remained in the country. A decade later, on September 1, 1969, a group of officers that they formed part of the left faction of the army Libyan, led by Col. PCRM addresses the importance of the matter here. Muhamar El-Gadhafi, overthrew the old King Idris, who did not hear the voices demanding economic and social changes at the political level. Demonstrations each day taking more strength to the enormous wealth generated by oil transformed the life of the country. The military Revolutionary Council, led by Muhamar El-Qaddafi would point out that the Revolution was intended: Unity, freedom and socialism in Libya, and at the same time send a warning message to the Western world that any counterrevolutionary attempt would be crushed decisively and relentless. Also it was announced the creation of a Socialist Republic which would be called Republic of Libya Arabic.
Thus, Libya, one of the States most rich and destined to be the maximum producer of petroleum in the region in the future, ends up joining the Arab Socialist revolutionary States. This situation reconsidered future relations of the revolutionary Government with the West, which until that time were optimal. Especially with United States and England who had many military and commercial interests in Libya. Be the major supplier of weapons to Libya, England had signed a few months ago to the coup, a millionaire contract of sixty tanks type chieftain, and an undetermined number of anti-aircraft guns and artillery for the armed forces Libyan. In addition, a contract to install a complex network of radars and an anti-aircraft defense system surface-to-air excluding military installations that England had in the country. Apart from these contracts, England had granted to Libya several credits without interest in 352,000 pounds in the year 1949 and 250,000 pounds in 1951.
Meanwhile United States had a training base military strategically important to have control over the Mediterranean. Cannot be aside substantial aid for technical assistance and economic development that both countries had given him to Libya. Between 1949 and 1959 England contributed more than 21 million pounds and only in 1959, United States had paid to the country some 25 million dollars. Faced with new developments was very difficult to point out which would be the future of these relationships especially if you consider that these new Arab Socialist regimes were not in favour of any kind of foreign interference in its territory and more if came from the West.