Suez Crisis - Timeline
26 July 1956The Egyptian President, Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser, announces the Egyptian nationalisation of the Suez Canal and its operating Suez Canal Company in retaliation to the reneging of an agreement by the American and British Governments to finance the construction of the Aswan Dam. The Suez Canal represented the main source of supply of oil for Britain and France and the potential loss of those supplies represented an economic threat that they could ill ignore.
27 July
The British Prime Minister, Sir Anthony Eden, forms the Egypt Committee, consisting of himself, Lord Salisbury (Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Lords), Lord Home (the Commonwealth Secretary), and Harold Macmillan (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) to co-ordinate Britain's intent to recover her access to the Suez Canal. The Foreign Secretary, Selwyn Lloyd and the Defence Minister Sir Walter Monckton were later members of the Egypt Committee.
16-23 August
A conference of nations meets in London in an attempt to find a diplomatic solution and adopts eighteen proposals which include an offer to Nasser of Egyptian representation on the Suez Canal Company board and a share in its profits.
3-9 September
The Australian Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, travels to Cairo to offer Nasser the eighteen proposals which he rejects. Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, seeks to distance the US Government from support for military intervention, ever mindful of President Eisenhower's hopes for re-election in the November US Presidential election.
19-21 September
A second conference of nations is held in London to discuss American proposals for a Suez Canal Users Association to ensure continued international use of the Canal.
13 October
The USSR vetoes the American plan in the United Nations Security Council.
14 October
Sir Anthony Eden holds secret discussions with French officials over a military operation to recover use of the Canal. The talks result in the formation of a plan by which Israel would invade Egypt and thus allow British and French forces to seize the Canal as an act of intervention between warring nations.
22-24 October
The British Foreign Secretary, Selwyn Lloyd, concludes the agreement with French and Israeli officials at Sèvres, France. The British copy of the resulting Sèvres Protocol is subsequently destroyed on Eden's orders.
25 October
Eden gains approval for military intervention from a divided cabinet. An increasingly sidelined Foreign Office is split over the Government's intention to adopt military measures.
29 October
Israeli forces invade Egypt.
30 October
The British and French ultimatum for an end to hostilities is rejected by Nasser.
5-6 November
On the night of 5-6 November, British and French troops invade Port Said and take control of the Suez Canal. In a meeting of the British cabinet on 6 November, Harold Macmillan raises stark warnings of economic peril as a result of the action. Macmillan had previously been one of the strongest supporters of resolute action. The US Presidential election results in the re-election of President Eisenhower.
7 November
The United States, USSR and the United Nations condemn British and French military action. The loss of confidence and American backing for the already weak British economy forces Eden into calling a cease-fire. British public opinion is deeply divided over the use of force.
9 January 1957
Under the impact of the Crisis, Eden's already fragile health has deteriorated to such an extent that he is forced to resign. Ill health or not, politically Eden's premiership had little future.
10 January
Harold Macmillan replaces Eden as Prime Minister.
Transcription.
Choose one diary entry/letter/etc and transcribe the text. Each item can be transcribed by a team of two or three. Sign-up in the comment section.
William Clark diary entry, 13 Aug. 1956. MS. Eng. c. 4806, fols. 114-15.
Paul Gore-Booth minute, 2 Nov. 1956. MS. Gore-Booth adds. 10/1, fol. 4r-v.
Paul Gore-Booth letter to mother, 3 Nov. 1956. MS. Eng. c. 4599, fols. 12r-13v.
William Clark diary entry 4-5 Nov. 1956. MS. Eng. c. 4806, fols. 179-80.
Gilbert Murray draft letter to Time and Tide, 6 Nov. 1956. MS. Gilbert Murray 111, fols. 215-6.
Violet Bonham Carter letter to Gilbert Murray, 30 Nov. 1956. MS. Gilbert Murray 121, fols. 219-220.
Watch Newsreels.
No Journals.
27 comments:
Can you tell us more about the letter transcription assignment?
Can I have the Violet Bonham Carter letter? It corresponds with my birthday...
Can I do Gilbert Murray?
Can I also do Violet Bonham Carter?
I will do William Clark, 13 Aug.
It's always interesting to see how party positions shift over time. Nowadays we see the Democratic party as the side that is skeptical of the military-industrial complex and wants to scale down military efforts. Back then, they were the ones who wanted to build up the United States' arsenal and have more soldiers!
Can I do Harlod Macmillian's diary entry? Are we typing these out at home?
@Ryan. Yes, you will be reading these and transcribing the text at home. However, you should team up with a classmate and divide the work between you. You should bring your transcriptions to class for discussion.
@G SP
Thanks for helping me understand. I'll do the first two pages.
I wanted to do william Clark is that available?
I will do the first two pages of Paul Gore-Booth (The second one on the list).
I'll do the Gilburt Murray draft letter!
In commenting on this week's reading, I was interested by the strain on the relationship between the US and England and France by the Suez Crisis. I tend to think of these three as the pillars of the Free World, staunch in their fight against Communism. But because of their different approaches to the Crisis, they began to split.
Oh, and Britain and France secretly getting Israel in there was brilliant.
For this week's reading, I found it interesting that the Suez crisis was considered the true downfall of the British Empire. I normally associate Great Britain's downfall with WWII, and didn't know about Britain's role in the Suez crisis.
I will do the last two pages of the second paul gore-booth.
Before the UN did other countries just let countries invade each other? Because it seemed strange to me that Britain and France would just invade Egypt. Did they think that no one would raise a stink about it?
I'll do the first Paul Gore-booth
So my mind is still blown by the game we played in class but it makes so much sense. There was a quote in there about how the President would do anything to avoid a third war or nuclear war. All those bombs . . . all that money . . . never to be used. Not that I want to blow the world up. I just think its ironic.
I'll do Gilbert Murray.
I loved the last page "Another Country," learning about Spring-Rice's poem and reading the scriptures and Kipling's "Recessional." Such a good reminder about living with an ETERNAL perspective - the Kingdom of God is near. :)
Yeah Marc, I agree. I didn't know before that Britain's downfall was the Suez crisis
Ill take Paul Gore-Booth and his letter to his mother.
Cheers
I'll do Violet Bonham Carter letter to Gilbert Murray
I'll be working on Gilbert Murray with Max (we're teaming up to dominate the world).
After reading the syllabus about the suez crisis and the "dethroning" of Britain as a world-power, it is scary to compare it to America. The reading-for me, that is-proved to be another reminder that we live in an earthly and finite country that isn't invincible. It could be a matter of time before we're "dethroned." Scary stuff, but at least we known that there is a higher power who has a plan for everyone and everything that will protect and guide us according to His will. "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." Proverbs 29:25
Cheers all
Can I choose William Clark?
actually. I think I'll team up with Callie on the Violet Bonham Carter, Callie, I'll do the last page, can you do the first?
Callie and I are already doing it as a team, Rose. D: I've just not had the time to post that we're doing it together.
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