The Suez Crisis 195657

1
The Suez Crisis1956-57
2
Origins of the Crisis

• Britain and France enlisted Israels help, where
  Israel would invade the Sinai. Britain and
  France then planned to intervene, instructing
  that both the armies would withdraw from the
  Canal, and then propose that the Canal be put
  under Anglo-French control in order to avoid
  further conflicts.

• Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser hoped to
  build the Aswan Dam in order to control the
  flooding of the Nile each year, and originally
  the UK and United States agreed to help finance
  this, but withdrew their support after Egypt
  bought tanks from Czechoslovakia, then part of
  the Soviet bloc.
• In response, Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal
  Company in July 1956, in order to use the revenue
  from the Canal to finance the Aswan Dam. At the
  time, two-thirds of British oil was being
  transported through the canal, and British
  companies and banks held a 44 share of the
  company.

Reference Chris Trueman, The causes of the Suez
Canal War of 1956, The History Learning Site
available from http//www.historylearningsite.co.
uk/causes_suez-crisis-1956.htm Internet
accessed 2 March 2007.
3
The Crisis
On Oct. 29, 1956, Israel invaded the Gaza strip
and Sinai peninsula, and progressed toward the
Canal Zone. Britain and France offered to
separate the armies. Nasser refused, which gave
Britain and France a reason to join the invasion.
Britain and France initiated air raid and
bombing campaigns, and Nasser responded by
sinking all ships in the Canal, and closing it to
shipping until early 1957. The crisis caused
negative political implications for the United
States, who were also dealing with the
Soviet-Hungary crisis at the time. A global war
was also feared when the Soviet Union announced
they would support Egypt and launch attacks by
all types of weapons of destruction on Paris and
London. The United States, under President
Eisenhower, forced a cease-fire on Britain and
France. They sponsored resolutions in the UN
security council for a stop to the invasion,
which Britain and France quickly vetoed.
Reference Chris Trueman, The diplomatic
background to the Suez Crisis of 1956, The
History Learning Site available from
http//www.historylearningsite.co.uk/background-su
ez-crisis-1956.htm Internet accessed 2 March
2007.
4
UN Involvement
After Britain and France vetoed the resolution to
stop the cease-fire, the US appealed to the
General Assembly for a withdrawal of forces. The
appeal was made under a procedure Uniting for
Peace (UfP) which is a method for the UN to take
action even when stalemated by vetoes. The UfP
states that, if there is a threat to peace, a
breach of peace, or an act of aggression and the
permanent members cannot agree on action, then
the General Assembly has the authority to
recommend collective measures to the UN members
to maintain or restore international peace and
security. The General Assembly held an emergency
session and passed the resolution. Britain and
France withdrew their forces within a
week. Eisenhower had also threatened to sell the
American reserves of the British pound which
could have catalyzed a crash of the British
currency. Also, Saudi Arabia had started an oil
embargo against Britain and France, and America
refused to sell them oil until they had withdrawn
their troops.
5

• Role of the United Nations
• Since conception in 1947, United Nations had
  succeeded on first two major tasks, the Arab War
  of 1949 and the India-Pakistan war of 1949
  because both the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. had been
  able to work together and agree on a solution.
• Suez Canal crisis was first major test since
  then.
• Major powers present on both sides, with the
  Soviet Union supporting Egypt, and the United
  States supporting the triple alliance of Britain,
  France and Israel.
• The United Nations effort was orchestrated by a
  Canadian, Lester B. Pearson
• Canada worked very hard to preserve neutral
  stance on this issue. Achieved by
• Abstaining on all motions presented in the U.N.
  by the United States and Britain
• Undertook a policy of peaceful negotiation
  rather than aggression. (http//www.planetpapers.c
  om/Assets/3520.php)
• Canadas neutral stance allowed Pearson to
  present proposals to the Arab States without
  arousing their suspicion (http//www.infoplease.co
  m/ce6/history/A0804479.html)

6

• Pearson proposed to the United Nations to create
  a U.N. peacekeeping force to quell the conflict
  by preventing the two opposing forces from
  clashing.
• Troops would patrol area captured by British and
  French forces.
• Would Patrol the Egypt-Israel border following
  the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Egyptian
  soil. (http//www.britannica.com/eb/article-43018/
  Canada477760.hook)
• Proposal was supported by both the United States
  and the Soviet Union, and on November 6, 1956 was
  ratified by the General Assembly
• Not only was Pearson the main author of the
  peacekeeping proposal, Canada also sent a large
  contingent of troops and a vast amount of
  supplies to Egypt. (http//www.britannica.com/eb/a
  rticle-43018/Canada477760.hook)
• Though the United Nations resolution was ratified
  by the General Assembly, it didnt come into
  effect until Israel had captured key locations,
  such as the Gaza Strip and approaches to the Gulf
  of Aqaba. (http//www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A
  0804479.html)
• Israeli forces turned this land over to the U.N.
  forces only after they were assured access to the
  Gulf of Aqaba.
• Only access to Indian Ocean.
• In 1957, Lester B. Pearson was awarded the Nobel
  Peace Prize for his work on solving the Suez
  Canal Crisis.

7
Results

• Once the United Nations resolution had been
  ratified in the General Assembly, a UN
  peacekeeping force was sent to maintain an
  international presence in the area and establish
  peace.
• By 25 November 1956 Egypt began to expel British,
  French and Israeli forces from the region.
• Though Israel had scored a decisive victory in
  Egypt, it was forced to withdraw its forces from
  the region under the threat of American economic
  sanctions.
• However, Israel refused to return the Gaza strip
  to Egypt
• By December 24 French and British troops had
  withdrawn from the region and on January 15, 1958
  the British and French banks of the canal were
  nationalized.
• The USSR threatened to intervene on behalf of
  Egypt if Britain, France and Israel did not
  withdraw their forces.
• The Soviet Union never became directly involved
  in the crisis. President Eisenhower, fearing
  Soviet influence in the Middle East, pressured
  the invading powers to withdraw from the region.
• A United Nations peacekeeping force, the first of
  its kind, was sent to maintain peace in the
  region.
• Included 6000 men from ten countries under the
  command of Canadian General E.L.M. Burns
• The UN force maintained a presence in the area
  for a decade, until Egypt asked the troops to
  leave in 1967.
• The crisis, which had pushed the powers to the
  brink of another war, was brought to a peaceful
  conclusion.
• Egypt succeeded in nationalizing the canal and
  controlling traffic through it.
• References
• Suez Canal Crisis, Cold War Canada available
  from http//history.cbc.ca/history/?MIvalEpisCont
  entseries_id1episode_id15chapter_id1page_id
  3langE Internet accessed 3 March 2007.
• John Simkin, Suez Crisis, Spartacus
  Educational available from http//www.spartacus.s
  choolnet.co.uk/COLDsuez.htm Internet accessed 3
  March 2007.
• Alistair Boddy-Evans, Timeline The Suez
  Crisis,African History available from
  http//africanhistory.about.com/library/timelines/
  bl-Timeline-SuezCrisis.htm Internet accessed 4
  March 2007.
• Roger A. Lee, The Suez-Sinai War (1956), The
  history guy available from http//www.historyguy.
  com/suez_war_1956.html Internet accessed 3
  March 2007.
• The BBC, 1956 Egypt seizes Suez Canal, BBC on
  this day available from http//news.bbc.co.uk/ont
  hisday/hi/dates/stories/july/26/newsid_2701000/270
  1603.stm Internet accessed 2 March 2007.

8
Short-term Consequences

• When the Suez Canal crisis occurred, the Soviet
  Union was mostly involved with curbing the
  Hungarian revolt.
• Similarly, the United States under President
  Eisenhower was mainly concerned with the
  Hungarian revolt and Cold War policies against
  the Soviet Union. It did not wish to concern
  itself with France and Britains colonial
  interests.
• With the onset of the crisis however, the Soviet
  Union threatened to intervene on behalf of Egypt
  if France, Britain and Israel did not withdraw
  their forces from the region.
• The United States, fearing Soviet influence in
  the Middle East, pressured the invading powers to
  reach a peace agreement and withdraw.
• The Soviet Union was never directly involved in
  the crisis and received some criticism for
  failing to fully support the Arab cause.
• However, since the United States was not
  sympathetic to Nassers goals, the Soviet Union
  was able to become the primary source of economic
  and military aid to the Arab world.
• Therefore, at the end of the crisis, Egypt firmly
  aligned itself with the Soviet Union.
• The USSR now wielded significant influence in the
  Middle East.
• Nasser was seen as a hero in the Arab world, who
  had managed to stand up to the Western powers.
• The Crisis further exacerbated relations between
  Israel and the Arab nations. In the short-term,
  it caused Egypt to lose control of the Gaza
  strip.
• Nationalization of the Suez Canal effectively
  terminated France and Britains roles as colonial
  powers.
• References
• E. Alyn Mitchner and R. Joanne Tuffs, Global
  Forces of the Twentieth Century (Edmonton
  Reidmore Books Inc., 1997), 213-214.
• Roger A. Lee, The Suez-Sinai War (1956), The
  history guy available from http//www.historyguy.
  com/suez_war_1956.html Internet accessed 3
  March 2007.
• The BBC, 1956 Egypt seizes Suez Canal, BBC on
  this day available from http//news.bbc.co.uk/ont
  hisday/hi/dates/stories/july/26/newsid_2701000/270
  1603.stm Internet accessed 2 March 2007.
• Why did the Soviet Union support Egypt in 1956
  during the Suez Canal crisis? Suez Canal Crisis
  available from http//novaonline.nvcc.vccs.edu/eli
  /evans/his135/Events/Suez56.htm Internet
  accessed 3 March 2007.

9

• Long-term Consequences

• Suez Canal Crisis was major event of the 20th
  century that had long lasting global effects.
• Middle East
• The crisis was a precursor to other wars that
  would take place between Arab states and Israel
  including the Six Day War (1967) and the Yom
  Kippur War (1973) (http//www.infoplease.com/ce6/h
  istory/A0856668.html)
• The immediate alliance of most Western powers
  with Israel created a sense of distrust amongst
  Arab nations that still exists today.
• This has made negotiations over volatile regions
  and issues, such as Palestine and Lebanon, even
  more difficult to resolve.
• The United States and the Soviet Union agreed on
  the terms of the U.N. peacekeeping forces
  mandate but this was an isolated occurrence as
  the future held many more conflicts between these
  two states. (http//www.britannica.com/eb/article-
  43018/Canada477760.hook)
• The Middle East was a very important region in
  terms of American attempts at Containment as had
  been seen with the struggle for Turkey and would
  be seen in future events within the area.
  (http//www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1727842/
  posts)
• Many of the Middle Eastern countries, regardless
  of distrust apparent within populace, were under
  influence of the west
• Canadas role as a global peacekeeper was
  solidified by this event
• Helped out in majority of peacekeeping missions
  and rebuilding initiatives within countries
  destroyed by war. (http//www.britannica.com/eb/ar
  ticle-43018/Canada477760.hook)