Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also known as the Suez War, Suez Campaign or Kadesh Operation was a 1956 war fought on Egyptian territory. The conflict pitted Egypt against an alliance between France, the United Kingdom and Israel. The alliance between the two European nations and Israel was largely one of convenience; the European nations had economic and trading interests in the Suez Canal, while Israel had a pressing need to open the canal for Israeli shipping. By the conclusion of the war, only Israel enjoyed significant gains.
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2 Invasion 3 Cease fire and withdrawal 4 Aftermath 5 Related articles 6 External Links |
Origins
The roots of the crisis extend back to 1952, when officers in the Egyptian army overthrew the monarchy under King Farouk. Abandoning policies which were co-operative with European powers, the new government desired to undertake a more nationalistic and assertive stance. This led to conflict with Israel and the European powers over the Suez Canal.
Throughout 1956, conflict increased between Israel and Egypt, with Egyptian fedayeen launching frequent incursions into Israeli territory and Israel launching raids into Egyptian territory. Egypt, under the leadership of President Gamal Abdul Nasser, blockaded the Gulf of Aqaba and closed the Suez canal to Israeli shipping. At the same time, Egypt nationalized the canal, a vital trade route to the east, in which British banks and business held a 44% stake.
The British Prime Minister of the time, Sir Anthony Eden, tried to persuade the British public of the need for war and so, perhaps in an attempt to recall World War II-era patriotism he compared Nasser's nationalisation of the Suez Canal with the nationalism of Mussolini and Hitler 20 years earlier. Eden had been a staunch opponent of Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement and he claimed that a display of force was needed to prevent Nasser becoming another expansionist military threat.
In the months that followed Egypt's nationalisation of the canal, a secret meeting between Israel, France and Britain took place at SÃÂèvres, outside Paris. Details only emerged years later, as records of the meeting were suppressed and destroyed. All parties were agreed that Israel should invade and that Britain and France would subsequently intervene, instruct the Israeli and Egyptian armies to withdraw their forces either side of the canal, and then place an Anglo-French intervention force in the Canal Zone around Port Said. It was to be called "Operation Musketeer".
Invasion
On October 29, Israel invaded the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula and made rapid progress towards the canal zone. As per the agreement, Britain and France offered to reoccupy the area and separate the warring armies. Nasser (whose nationalisation of the company had been greeted with delirium by Egyptian crowds) refused the offer, which gave the European powers a pretext for a joint invasion to regain control of the canal and topple the Nasser regime. The United Kingdom and France then began to bomb Egypt on October 31 to force the reopening of the canal.
On late 5th November 3rd Parachute regiment dropped at Gamil Airport, clearing the area and establishing a secure base for incoming support aircraft and reinforcements. At first light on the 6th November Commandos of No42 and 40 Commando Royal Marines stormed the beaches, using landing craft of WW2 vintage. Salvos from the battlegroup standing offshore opened up giving good covering fire for the landings, and causing considerable damage to the Egyptian batteries and gun emplacements. The town of Port Said sustained great damage and was seen to be alight.
As the Commandos moved inland, meeting stiff resistance, No45 Commando assaulted by helicopter, being the first operation of its kind, and on landing moved inland. Several helicopters were hit from shore batteries and casualties sustained. Friendly fire from British carrier borne aircraft caused heavy casualties to 45 Commando and HQ. Street fighting and house clearing was the order of the day. Again stiff opposition came from well entrenched sniper positions which caused a number of casualties.
Many of the local citizens were armed with automatic weapons, and had been told that the Russian Armies were on their way to support them. The Egyptian Army and their seven divisions of armour were forced to give ground by the speed of the Commandos' advance, who also had the benefit of air supremacy. The Commandos forced their way to the canal and started south heading to Cairo. The canal was now mainly in the hands of the allied forces, who now secured their perimeters, before continuing their trust south.
Cease fire and withdrawal
America forced a cease-fire on the allies, both the government and the pound came under pressure. Eden was forced to resign. The operation to take the canal was highly successful from a military point of view, but a political disaster, and finished Britain as a world power.
The invading forces were forced to withdraw in March 1957 under pressure from the United States, which saw good relations with the third world as being more important than defending Anglo-French interests. Perhaps more significantly, the US also feared a wider war after the USSR's offer to intervene on the Egyptian side. After the withdrawal, the United Nations established the UN Emergency Force (UNEF) to keep peace in the area.
Part of the pressure that the United States used against Britain was financial, as Eisenhower threatened to sell the United States holdings of the British pound and thereby precipitate a collapse of the British currency.
Aftermath
Eden's resignation marked the end of the last attempt Britain would ever make to establish, as Scott Lucas writes, "that Britain did not require Washington's endorsement to defend her interests". In a way, it also marked the symbolic end of the British Empire, though it had in reality been in decline for decades, even before World War II. The crisis also marked the transfer of power to the new superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union.
From the point of view of general de Gaulle, the Suez events demonstrated that in case of actual need, France should not have to rely on allies, especially the United States, which may pursue different objectives.
The crisis also greatly improved Nasser's standing in the Arab world and help to promote pan-Arabism. It also hastened the process of decolonization as the remaining colonies of both Britain and France become independent over the next several years.
After Suez, Aden became the main base for the British in the region.