Diplomacy of the Suez Crisis

Canal Nationalization and War

Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal Company on 26 July 1956. President Gamal Abdel Nasser offered compensation, but Britain and France regarded his action as a threat to their position in the region. American officials sought a negotiated arrangement for operating the canal. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles proposed a users’ association, while other international initiatives tried to reconcile Egyptian sovereignty with the interests of shipping nations. None secured the agreement needed to prevent an armed confrontation. [1]

Britain and France were simultaneously planning military action with Israel. Israeli forces attacked Egypt on 29 October, and the British and French intervened under the asserted purpose of protecting the canal and separating the belligerents. President Dwight Eisenhower opposed the operation, concerned both about association with European colonialism and about possible Soviet intervention. [1]

The United Nations and American Pressure

British and French vetoes blocked action in the Security Council. The dispute moved to an emergency special session of the General Assembly, which called for a ceasefire and withdrawal. Canadian foreign minister Lester Pearson proposed an international force; Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld developed the arrangements. The United Nations Emergency Force would supervise the cessation of hostilities and assist withdrawal, operating in Egypt with Egyptian consent. [2]

On 11 November, Eisenhower told Prime Minister Anthony Eden that the introduction of the UN force and withdrawal of British and French troops must proceed quickly before a meeting of the leaders could be considered. [3]

Withdrawal and Peacekeeping

British and French forces completed their withdrawal in December 1956; the Israeli withdrawal continued into March 1957. UNEF’s deployment accompanied these stages and required negotiation over where its contingents could serve. Because Israel did not agree to deployment on its territory, the force operated on the Egyptian side. It separated armies and provided an international presence, while the Arab-Israeli dispute remained unresolved. [2]

Related Reading

• The United Kingdom and the United States
• Egypt and the United States
• France and the United States
• Canada and the United States
• Israel and the United States
• French Republic
• Arab Republic of Egypt
• State of Israel
• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Canada