Lesson 18 Flashcards
The Suez crisis causes
Colonel Nasser the President of Eygpt was promised British and American loans to build the Aswan Dam ( a way to provide Eygpt with electricity)
When the Americans found out Nasser had approached to Soviet Union, their loans were withdrawn.
To fund the building of the Dam, Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal.
The suez crisis events
A secret plan was devised between Eden, France and Israel to take control of the Suez Canal.
Israel would attack Eygpt across the senia peninsula.
Then Britain and France would launch a joint assault on the canal region under the pretence of forcing Egypt and Isreal to come to a ceasefire.
The international community condemned the invasion and an emergency United Nations debate was held.
The suez crisis US anger
The Hungarian uprising of 1956 was a key event in the development of the Cold War, the Hungarians were pushing for a fight agaisnt communism and supported Americas belief in the domino effect.
The US was furious of the attack on Eygpt as the western condemnation of the Hungarian uprising was now weaker by the British-French-Israeli attack.
Britain was put on the verge of economic collapse as international investors were withdrawing.
The US threatened to also do this, by not supporting Sterling the UK would crash.
The soviets seeing that the US was not backing Britain issues a letter stating it was prepared to use rockets against western invaders
The Suez Crisis consequences
The day after receiving the soviets letter Eden ordered the British withdrawal from Eygpt.
The Suez Crisis showed Britain and France they were no longer great imperial powers and could not involve in other countries without US backing.
Edens resignation
Weeks after the Crisis ended, Eden resigned.
Officially on grounds of his poor health
But the suez crisis had ruined his reputation
