Transcript The Suez Crisis

THE SUEZ CRISIS
THE SUEZ CANAL
BRIEF HISTORY
The Suez canal is a large
artificial canal in Egypt – 106km
long and 300 metres wide at its
narrowest point.
It links the Mediterranean Sea
with the Red Sea.
Before it was built, goods were
often offloaded and carried over
land between the two seas.
Golan Heights-Syrian
Israel
Gaza Strip-Egyptian
‘West Bank’-Jordanian
EGYPT, 1949
 Military
was angry at being defeated by Israel
and sought revenge.
 Egypt
closed the Suez canal and the Gulf of
Aqaba to Israeli ships in 1949, and continued to
try to strangle Israeli trade this way.
 Supported
Arab Palestinians in the Gaza strip
and enabled them to launch attacks into Israel.
The Suez Canal
•Canal had been important as the trade
link between Britain (Europe) and India.
•Canal found a new role in oil
transportation between Europe and the
Middle East.
THE SUEZ CANAL
KING FAROUK I (1936-52)
The Thief of Cairo
Pictured here with Arab
friends, although he was
friendlier with European
leaders.
THE SUEZ CRISIS (1956)
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1952 Army officers ‘The Free Officers Movement’ in Egypt
overthrew the King (Farouk) and put Gamal Nasser in power.
Nasser was anti-colonialist, and Arab nationalist. He also had
ideas of pan-Arabism which won him much support from other
Arab countries. Britain, and others, initially regarded him as a
possible strong leader who might help to solve the Arab-Israeli
crisis.
He managed to remove British influence over the Suez canal and
won huge loans from Britain and America for the building of a dam
(the Aswan High Dam).
He then, however, began arms trading with Communist countries.
Britain and the USA were furious and cut his funding.
In retaliation Nasser promptly nationalized (took control of) the
Suez Canal (1956) precipitating a crisis between Europe and
Egypt.
GAMAL ABDEL NASSER
TIMELINE OF US-USSR
POWER-PLAYS OVER ASWAN
9/55: Nasser announces Czech arms deal
 12/55: US and Britain pledge $56 and $14 million
respectively towards construction of dam
 5/56: Nasser recognizes communist China, which is in
direct conflict with Dulles’s policy of containment
 6/56: Soviets offer Nasser $1,120,000,000 at 2%
interest for the construction of the dam.
 7/56: US State Dept announces withdrawal of
financial support for dam project
 7/56: Nasser nationalizes the Suez Canal,
precipitating Suez Crisis
 1958: USSR stepped in and funded the dam project
and provided technicians and heavy machinery
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The Aswan dam. In holding back one of the world’s longest rivers (the Nile) it
created the world’s biggest reservoir at the time –Lake Nasser.
UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC (1958-71)
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Nasser’s idea to join Syria &
Egypt into one nation;
precursor to creating a massive
pan-Arab world led by him.
The idea won much approval, at
first, from Arabs. It proved more
difficult to keep all the diverse
groups of Arabic people
together, however, in the long
run.
Syria left the union in 1961
Egypt continued to call itself
UAR until 1971, just after
Nasser’s death.
THE WAR PLAN.
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THEATRE: Israel would attack Egypt, prompting the
great regional powers of Britain and France to step in
and separate the warring countries, thus returning the
canal to their control.
THE WAR PLAN.
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REAL PLAN:
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France approached Israel for military assistance against
the Egyptians: Britain & France would capture the canal
and Israel would sweep across the Sinai peninsula pushing
Arab people even further back from her borders.
Israel was eager to demonstrate her independence,
and might, to all her enemies.
AN ANGLO-FRENCH TASK FORCE
HEADS TOWARDS SUEZ.
British Aircraft
carriers head to
the Suez canal.
British ‘V’ bombers
follow the ships.
NEW AMERICAN ‘SABRE’ JETS ARE
PROVIDED FOR THE YOUNG ISRAELI
AIR FORCE.
Egyptian soldiers defend
the canal zone.
The Egyptians sink
ships to block the
canal completely.
French and British
paratroopers land from the
air.
Israeli tanks hurl
themselves across the Sinai
desert.
ISRAEL EXPANDS AT EGYPTIAN EXPENSE
SUEZ CANAL CRISIS POV
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Egypt
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Nasser asserts
independence from Britain
Arab Self Determination
and Unity (Pan Arabism)
Funds insurgents in other
countries
Advance the army and
economy of industry from
WWII
No Israeli ships allowed
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Israel
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Civil War and
Independence in 1949
Surrounded by enemies
Supported by the USA
Advanced military
Protect themselves from
future Holocausts
Punish Egypt for giving
Palestinian Guerrillas a
base
SUEZ CANAL CRISIS POV
USA
Influence in Middle East
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Protect Natural Resources
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Oil
Shipping lines
70 million in aid to build
Aswan dam on the Nile
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Contain Communism
Promote Capitalism and
democracy
Up 1/3 cultivatable land
Up 1/2 Egypt's electric power
Flex Super Power
USSR
Influence in Middle East
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Promote Communism
 Prevent Capitalism
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Assist Post Colonial States
1955 pledge to supply
military arms in return for
cotton and rice
Flex Super Power
SUEZ CANAL CRISIS POV
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France
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Protect its North African
Empire
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Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia
Re-establish dominance in
International Relations
 Punish Nasser for support
of Algerian insurgency
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Great Britain
Keep control of Suez Canal
(74 years) or have
Multinational control over
the canal
 Prime Minister Anthony
Eden views Nasser as
Hitler of the Middle East
 Overthrow Nasser
 Maintain the Baghdad
Pact
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UNITED NATIONS
CALLED IN BY THE
TO STOP THE WAR
USA
•The USA found itself unable to support Britain and France. With Soviet
(USSR) support the United Nations was allowed to act.
•Watchful of the Soviet advance into Hungary the USA couldn’t take a moral
defence of Hungary and allow its own allies to walk into Egypt. Cold War
brinkmanship took precedence over the Middle East.
•The USA put financial pressure on Britain to quit . Saudi Arabia meanwhile
cut back Britain’s oil supplies.
THE CRISIS ENDS
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Britain, France and Israel all withdrew from the Canal Zone and
Israel had to give back the Gaza strip to Egyptian control.
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The United Nations put a peacekeeping force in to cover the Sinai
Peninsula, and to keep the enemies apart.
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Egypt reopened the Straits of Tiran.
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It had been a diplomatic victory for Egypt, and a humiliation for
Israel, Britain and France.
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It showed the world that real power lay with the super-powers
USA and Communist USSR. No-one could act without their
approval.
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Maybe it was the last fling of British Imperialism.
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For a while, peace…..