Suez War

Important Dates 1956: Britain gives up Suez Canal, ending 72 years of British occupation. General Nasser is elected president and announces his plan to nationalize the Suez Canal. British Prime Minister Anthony Eden imposes an arms embargo on Egypt, and informs General Nasser that he cannot have the Suez Canal. US, Britain, and France announce their intention to impose a Canal Users Association on management of the canal. However, Egypt soon became officially in control of the Suez Canal. Israeli foreign minister Golda Meir says the UN failure to resolve the Suez Crisis means they must take military action. Israel later invades the Sinai Peninsula. UN Assembly votes 65 to 1 that invading powers should leave the Egyptian territory. Egypt begins to expel British, French, and Zionist residents. 1957: The first British ship pays the Egyptian toll for use of the Suez Canal.

Egyptian Points of Contention Egypt wanted to Build Aswan dam, the UK and US agreed to help, then pulled out. To pay for it Nasser decided to nationalize the Suez Canal. England and France don't like it, ask Israel to invade to give them a Casus Belli, the Arab's don't really apreciate that. Arabs considered British and French actions neocolonial Arab position just a response to invasion of Egypt.

Israeli points of contention Israeli foreign relations had severely deteriorated by the time of the Suez Crisis. This was because of several reasons: Israel had placed a shunt in the river Banat Yacoub which cut off a major source of water for other countries. An Israeli extremist group, not concretely tied to the government, bombed US embassies in Egypt in an attempt to destabilize the US's relationship with Egypt

Israeli points of contention Because of Israel's damaged relations with the Western Allies, they jumped at the opportunity to work together and improve relations which would be beneficial for their diplomacy. Israel didn't have much ideologically invested in the Suez Crisis, so much that it was an opportunity to get on the world stage and demonstrate military power.

Key Players of the Suez War Nasser: President (Dictator) of Egypt Anthony Eden: British Prime Minister Ben-Gurion: Israeli Prime Minister Maurice Challe: French General, proposed the plan to seize the Canal

Key Battles of the Suez War Operation Kadesh: Israel sends paratroopers into Sinai to seize the canal, and into the Gaza Strip to attack the training bases of the Fedayeen. Battle of Jabel Heitan: The Israeli paratroopers in Sinai were advancing with their 1st brigade, but the paratroop commander wanted to advance faster than his colleague, and sent his lightly armored paratroopers against the entrenched Egyptians and failed, but then attacked by night and defeated the Egyptians. The Hedgehog-Abu Uwayulah Operations: The village of Abu Uwayulah was a central road hub in Sinai, and a key Israeli target. It was surrounded by ridges that the Israelis called the Hedgehog. Israeli forces tried to capture the Hedgehog for three days from October 30 to November 1, until the Egyptian forces surrendered due to a lack of supplies.

So what happened after? Britain and France looked real bad too the international community. Britain and France started to lose their grip on a colonial control in the middle east. Egypt through Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal. Egypt made some super powers look bad and flexed their muscle through the canal.

Works Cited e"Timeline: The Suez Crisis." Timeline: The Suez Crisis. About.com, 2013. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. . Fraser, T. G. The Arab Israeli Conflict. Third ed. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. Print.Conflict. Third ed. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. N. pag. Print.. The Suez Crisis. About.com, 2013. Web. 13 13.

Credits Annie Parham Jesse Diener Casey Erickson Miles Ingram Jenna Deml