Eden Flashcards
What was Eden’s role before PM?
He was foreign secretary so was highly experienced with foreign affairs but had little experience with domestic affairs
What did Eden do when he came to power?
He called a general election the following month which he won with a majority of 58 seats
Describe the votes of the 1955 election
C - 13,286,569 votes - 49.7% - 344 seats
L - 12,404,970 votes - 46.4% - 277 seats
Describe the conservatives strengths at 1955 election
- only 1% unemployed under Churchill
- they’d built 300,000 houses
- £134million tax cuts - voters happy with rising wages and living standards
- support of the media
- ‘younger’ politicians meant new energy
Describe Labour’s weaknesses at 1955 election
- seen as an opposition party
- conflict between Gaitskellites(the centre left wing of Labour) and Bevanites(the hard left wing of Labour) continued
- leadership struggle caused tensions
Why was the Suez Canal important for Britain?
It provided Britain with a shorter route to its empire and by the 1950s, 80% of Western Europe’s oil passed through the canal
What did Nasser do in July 1956?
He announced that he was going to nationalise the Suez Canal as a way of raising funds
Why did USA withdraw their loan for Egypt?
Because it became apparent that Nasser was also approaching Soviet bloc countries for aid
Describe the Suez Crisis
The British were furious that Nasser was planning to nationalise the Suez Canal so along with France and Israel and agreed to invade Egypt on 29th October 1956. However, political protests and fury from Eisenhower followed.
Describe key consequences of the Suez crisis
- Eden resigned Jan 1957 as he’d suffered strain
- Britain’s influence as a world power was reduced
- the government rapidly lost support as the country’s reputation was ruined
- caused a massive political fallout
- fall in Britain’s currency meant £10,000s were lost and so Britain faced the threat of economic collapse
