Suez Crisis 1956 Kaitlyn Acerbo Rose Bellandi Audrey Comstock

Background Information Built in 1869 Run by the Suez Canal Company 1875 Egypt sells its share to the British, the canal was kept as a neutral zone Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of ’s Egypt starts to express interest in regaining control of the canal 1954 British pull out from the canal and Nasser nationalizes it

Nasser Khrushchev Sharett Eisenhower Coty Churchill Ben-Gurion

Causes Breakdown of alliances Challenges to sovereignty Growing tensions Withdrawal of US financial support for the Aswan Dam

Questions for the Class What would you do? Was this growing issue one of purely colonialist remnants in Africa? Could an intervention based on economic interests happen today (2007)

Statement by President Eisenhower

Effects Britain loses power as a world power and loses standing with its allies. Soviets gained standing in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. French government changed.France pulled out of NATO’s military. US took the place of France and the UK. Relationships between states changed. Increased anti-British, anti- western, Arab nationalism. Palestinians lose faith in the Arab world to help get a Palestinian.

Suez was a preventative war : Yes: 1.Alliances lead to war (liberal theory basis) 2. Conflict Spiral No: Alliances and treaties lead to peace (realist) nationalism of dam not in self-defense Egypt backed out of treaty therefore abandoning peace-making process removal from process doesn't correspond to preventative theory of acting in defense What is a preventative war? Preemptive war is justified by an imminent threat of attack, a clear and present danger that the country in question is about to attack you. In such a case a preemptive attack is recognized as justifiable. (Cirincione)

Suez Crisis Disproves Democratic Peace Theory Yes: Economic relations * BUT Egypt/US/UK had economic ties and a basis to cooperate (oil) and still warred and initiated conflict spiral No: 1.DPT isn't applicable in this situation: 2.DPT says Democracies won't war as often with EACH OTHER 3.Nasser wasn't democratically elected; he was appointed What is the Democratic Peace Theory? Democracies, in particular liberal democracies, will not war with each other

Suez Crisis lead to EU Yes: 1.The Suez Crisis demonstrated the need for a united voice from Europe to prevent future conflicts over economic causes 2.The EU created a venue for a regional untied voice 3.during the Suez Crisis the only IGO present giving instructions was the UN, who proposed resolutions calling for a ceasefire 4. an action that European forces believed contrary to their economic motivations No: 1. The Suez Crisis didn't lead to the EU formation 2. The foundation for the EU stemmed much earlier: 3. Following WWII Europe wanted to prevent another war in Europe 4 There was the formation of the ECSC and the ECC 5.These organizations eventually caused the creation of the EU 6. Along with the global need to balance the power of the growing hegemon the United States