The relationship between the new supra-Egyptian orientations and ideologies of the post-1930 period and the positions taken by the various political forces operating in Egyptian public life was a complex one. Through the period under consideration in this study, there was a sizable gap between ideological development and political evolution. On most issues, the demands of supra-Egyptian ideologues and movements exceeded what Egypt's political parties and leadership were willing or able to do in the way of the tangible expansion of Egyptian involvement in Arab and Muslim affairs. Nonetheless, over time a definite trend in the direction of Egypt playing a more assertive role in Arab and Muslim international politics is visible.

The political adjustment to a more supra-Egyptianist position passed through three phases in the period from 1930 to 1945. In the first half of the 1930s, Egyptian political involvement in Arab and Muslim politics remained much as it had been in the 1920s: intermittent and largely reactive. In the later 1930s, prompted especially by the intensifying crisis in Palestine, Egypt's regional policy for the first time became a major issue in Egyptian public life. After a hiatus in the formulation of new initiatives in Egyptian foreign policy during the early years of World War II, the expansion of Egypt's regional role entered its third phase in 1943–5 when the Egyptian government took the lead in the diplomatic negotiations which eventually resulted in the formation of the League of Arab States.