Suez Crisis
- Date
- 26 July – 7 November 1956
- Category
- Military & conflict
- Region
- Middle East / North Africa (Egypt)
- Era
- Contemporary
- Significance
On 26 July 1956 Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser announced the nationalisation of the Suez Canal Company, asserting Egyptian sovereignty over the strategic waterway and intending to fund the Aswan High Dam after Western financing was withdrawn.
Britain and France, the canal's main shareholders and users, secretly colluded with Israel: Israeli forces invaded the Sinai on 29 October 1956, and Anglo-French troops landed at Port Said on 5–6 November under the pretext of separating the combatants. Although the invaders achieved military success, the operation collapsed under intense international pressure. The United States, opposed to the action, threatened financial measures against Britain, while the Soviet Union issued threats and the United Nations demanded a ceasefire, which took effect on 7 November. Anglo-French forces withdrew by December and Israel evacuated Sinai by March 1957. The crisis was a humiliation that exposed the limits of British and French imperial power, accelerated decolonisation, boosted Nasser's standing as a leader of Arab nationalism, and confirmed the United States and Soviet Union as the dominant powers in the region.
One piece of history in your inbox, weekly
New empires, events and features as they land — one good email a week. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Empires active in 26 July – 7 November 1956
- Soviet Union1922 CE – 1991 CE
- French Colonial Empire (Second)1830 CE – 1962 CE
- British Empire1583 CE – 1997 CE
- Spanish Empire1492 CE – 1976 CE
- Portuguese Empire1415 CE – 1999 CE
- Solomonic dynasty1270 CE – 1974 CE
Related military & conflict events
- Cuban Missile Crisis16–28 October 1962
- Korean War25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953
- Creation of Israel and the 1948 Arab–Israeli War14 May 1948 (war May 1948 – July 1949)
- Fall of Saigon and reunification of Vietnam30 April 1975 (reunified 1976)
- Khmer Rouge Seize Cambodia and Declare Year Zero1975
- The Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi7 April – 19 July 1994
Further reading
The wider story
The Ethiopians: A History
Standard general history of Ethiopia and its dynasties.
Get it on Amazon →As an Amazon Associate, Human Saga earns from qualifying purchases.