We explain why the Suez Canal crisis broke out and which countries were involved, as well as its political significance and consequences.
In November 1956, British and French troops attacked Port Said on the Suez Canal.
What was the Suez Canal Crisis?
The Suez Canal Crisis (1956) also known as the Sinai War, It was a war between the United Kingdom, France and Israel against Egypt.The crisis was triggered when Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal Company to the benefit of the Egyptian economy and to the detriment of the foreign interests of British and French private companies.
This crisis occurred in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict that began in 1948, with the creation of the State of Israel and the expulsion of the Arab population from the former territory of Palestine. In this context, Egypt had established an alliance with Syria and Jordan against Israel.
When the Suez Canal crisis broke out, the United Kingdom, France and the State of Israel coordinated the invasion of Egypt and unleashed the Sinai War. Within days, the international community condemned the attack and, under strong pressure from the United States, the attackers had to withdraw their troops.
When the Suez Canal crisis ended, the international political influence of the United Kingdom and France was weakened. Instead, Egypt was strengthened and Nasser became one of the most important leaders of Arab nationalism..
Background to the Suez Canal crisis
The Suez Canal is an artificial canal that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. It was built in the second half of the 19th century and is located within the borders of Egypt. In addition, the canal borders the Sinai Peninsula, which connects Africa and Asia.
The passage through the Suez Canal is essential for the oil supply of Western countries, since allows navigation between Europe and South Asia without having to go around the African continent.
Since its construction, the canal has been owned by the Egyptian government.However, from then on and throughout the first half of the 20th century, it was under the usufruct of a concessionary company of European shareholders (mostly British and French).
In 1956, Gamal Abdel Nasser was elected president of Egypt. Nasser was a nationalist politician who promoted the political and economic development of the country through a program of “Arab socialist nationalism.” He was against European colonialism in the region and in favor of the autonomy and self-determination of the Arab peoples.
Egypt also needed financing for the construction of the Aswan Dam, a project essential to the growth of the Egyptian economy. The World Bank agreed to a loan on the condition that other countries would act as guarantors.
The United States and British governments had promised to finance part of the effort, but in July 1956 they withdrew their financial support in retaliation for the ties Egypt was developing with the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia.
How did the Suez Canal crisis start?
President Gamal Abdal Nasser defended Egypt’s interests and nationalized the Suez Canal.
In the face of the refusal of the United States and the United Kingdom to support the financing of the construction of the Aswan Dam, Nasser reacted by nationalizing the Suez Canal.
The construction of the Aswan Dam was expected to be financed by five years’ profits from the use of the Suez Canal. On 26 July 1956, Nasser declared martial law in the canal zone and took control of the Suez Canal Company.
In addition to wanting to recover the economic benefits they received from the Suez Canal, The United Kingdom and France feared the Arab nationalism preached by Nasser. and, For this reason, they sought to overthrow the government of the Egyptian president. In order to do so, they turned to the State of Israel (Egypt’s enemy due to the Arab-Israeli conflict) to obtain a pretext for a military intervention.
The Sinai War
On October 29, 1956, The State of Israel invaded the Sinai PeninsulaOn 5 November, British and French forces landed at Port Said to occupy the Suez Canal and secure commercial traffic.
However, The attack was condemned by the international community. and especially by the United States. Finally, under strong pressure from the United States and the UN, the United Kingdom and France agreed to stop the invasion the following day and withdraw their troops after a month.
Consequences of the Suez Canal crisis
These events affected the political strength of the United Kingdom and France. They were found to be incapable of acting on the international stage without the support of the United States.. Furthermore, this defeat led to the resignation of British Prime Minister Anthony Eden.
On the other hand, Nasser had been able to repel the attack of the United Kingdom, France and the troubled State of Israel. The Suez Canal crisis made Nasser one of the most important leaders of Arab nationalism.
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References
- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023). “Suez Crisis”. Encyclopedia Britannica
https://www.britannica.com/ - Palmowski, J. (2000). “Suez Crisis”. A dictionary of twentieth-century world history. Oxford University Press.
- Van Dijk, R., Gray, W.G., Savranskaya, S., Suri, J., & Zhai, Q. (Eds.). (2013). “Suez Crisis”. Encyclopedia of the Cold War. Routledge.