British Colonial Policy And Administration Flashcards
What key event was going on during the suez crisis?
Cold War between USA and Soviet Union
Who was Britain fearful of in the Middle East by 1947 and how was this shown?
Communist Russia who seemed to be gaining the interests of the Middle East
- Britain still had 10k troops in Suez Canal Zone
- Britain had control over Aden and Cyprus
- Britain had air-force bases in Iraq
- Britain financed and provided officers for the Jordanian army
Clearly Britain were trying to create the illusion of a strong presence to ward off Russian communist threat
When did it become clear that Britain was losing its grip on the Middle East?
. Withdrawal from Palestine
. Britain couldn’t successfully negotiate with nationalist Arab league to resist communist infiltration, the Arabs weren’t willing to support Britain while it maintained its suez garrisons and controlled the Sudan
- Britain’s control over this part of Egypt was seen as an outrage to them (leading Arab nation at this point)
Clearly the Russian communist threat was tipping British control over the Middle East onto its side
What was the 1936 Anglo-Egyptian treaty?
. Stopped formal British occupation of Egypt
. However, 10k troops still in Egypt to protect suez mainly
. In the event of an emergency, Britain could declare martial law and censorship in Egypt
. Egypt could now enter League of Nations
When did the 1936 Anglo-Egyptian treaty collapse?
1951 - King Farouk of Egypt independently renounced the treaty and proclaimed himself king of Sudan
Was king Farouk’s reign as king of the Sudan long-lasting?
No. In January 1952, Farouk was overthrown in a military coup led by Colonel Nasser
When did Nasser become PM of Egypt and what were his aims?
1956-70:
. Wanted to modernise Egyptian economy
. Determined to free Egypt from foreign influence
. Saw himself as leader of the Arab world, encouraging nationalist groups in the Middle East
How did Britain initially approach the new ruler Nasser in Egypt?
. Sought to negotiate with Egypt’s new ruler
- 1953: agreement made on stages towards Sudanese independence
- 1954: British agreed to a phased withdrawal of troops from Suez Canal Zone over next 20 months, subject to certain rights of re-occupation in times of war.
What did Britain’s concessional attitude to Nasser originally show about the empire?
. Desired to improve Anglo-Arab relations, probably mainly out of the fear of Russian communism, to protect the suez and to maintain the oil they got from the Middle East
. Shows Britains financial difficulties: Britain could only just about afford to maintain their bases in Egypt and fortify their suez garrisons enough to resist the nationalist guerrilla attacks
Clearly Britain was weakened and had to adopt a policy of appeasement as had been going since 1930s
Who was Anthony Eden and how was he significant?
Foreign secretary in Churchill’s government (1951-55) and PM after Churchill (1955-1957)
. Immediately sought to negotiate with new ruler Nasser once he came into power, but mainly out of seeing Nasser as a threat to western imperialism
. He was against the policy of appeasement that seemed to be preferred post-war, but this was a popular opposition
. Wanted to maintain British influence in Middle East
Given Britain withdrawing their 10k troops in 1954, what were the British promised by the Egyptians in return?
. Free access through the Suez Canal (very important to empire)
. Maintenance of the former British bases in an operational condition (although Britain could barely afford these bases)
. To respect the independence of the Suez Canal Company
When did Nasser make himself president of Egypt?
June 1956
How did Nasser reveal his deemed ‘threat’ against British influence?
. During the constructive period of British diplomacy after the 1954 agreement, the Baghdad pact was engineered in 1955 to repel soviet threat to the Middle East
-Turkey, Pakistan etc approved it
- Nasser refused to sign this agreement, threatening the British as it seems as though he isn’t opposed to communist Russian ideas
Which alliance with Nasser alarmed Eden and fuelled his suspicions of Nasser?
Nasser believed the Baghdad pact threatened Egyptian dominance:
. He turned to communist Czechoslovakia for arms, especially during the Gaza raid when modernisation of the Egyptian army was needed to win
. Out of the two superpowers in the Cold War, Nasser had sided with the Soviet Union
How did Nasser plan to modernise the Egyptian economy?
Through the construction of the Aswan Dam which he hoped to make the core of a programme of irrigation, flood control and electrification
. West and Russia promised financial aid in 1955
- July 1956: USA, followed by Britain and the world bank, withdrew their funding due to Nasser’s association with communist powers
It seems by now Nasser has picked his superpower side
