(4) Foreign Policy 1951-64: The Suez Crisis and Decolonisation
Suez crisis
• 80% of Western Europeans oil imports passed through canal- Suez Canal dominated
by private French investors.
• Emergence of nationalist (supportive of decolonisation) leader, colonel Nasser-
worried Britain
• Britain and USA decided to pull out of Aswan Dam project; in response, Nasser
nationalised Suez Canal Company, to finance the Dam project.
• Britain feared it would become more difficult to trade via canal- viewed Nasser’s
move as anti-Western so thought he may side with USSR.
• Eden believed Nasser’s actions threatened Britain’s status as an imperial power-
viewed Nasser in a similar vein to Hitler- dangerous dictator who needed to be
stopped.
• France shared concerns as well as Israel – secretly agreed a plan with these two and
didn’t inform USA or parliament.
• Israel would invade Egypt; British and French armies would intervene- official reason
was to separate Israeli and Egyptian troops- real reason was to take control of Suez
Canal.
• Plan would probably have succeeded BUT Eden soon faced opp from Labour party,
anti-war protestors and sizeable chunk of British public- most importantly he was
stopped due to USA intervention.
US intervention
• US outraged by British actions- demanded immediate ceasefire- once this was clear
Britain had little choice to withdraw.
• Britain appealed to IMF for loan (embarrassing)- The US blocked this, Saudi imposed
oil embargo on Britain and the US refused to compensate for this- financial pressure
forced withdrawal- Macmillan told Eden to halt military action.
Impacts of Suez
• Eden’s reputation was destroyed- he’d been viewed as a foreign policy specialist-
decision to withhold details of the plan from Parliament especially damaging
• Early blow to the reputation of the ‘Establishment’ – seen as corrupt and dishonest.
• Britain’s reputation as elite world power seriously weakened
• Clear Britain no longer major power- forced into ceasefire by US- who was superior
economically and militarily- Britain’s foreign policy would increasingly have had to be
tied to USA.
Decolonisation
• Atlee’s govt withdraw from India (known as ‘crown jewel of British empire’) –
significant step towards decolonisation.
• 1950’s- independence movements in several colonies e.g., Malaya and Cyprus-
fighting British troops.
• Churchill govt believed a gradual transition from Empire to Commonwealth would be
possible- wanted to contain resistance movements until the people of the colonies
were ready for independence.
Suez crisis
• 80% of Western Europeans oil imports passed through canal- Suez Canal dominated
by private French investors.
• Emergence of nationalist (supportive of decolonisation) leader, colonel Nasser-
worried Britain
• Britain and USA decided to pull out of Aswan Dam project; in response, Nasser
nationalised Suez Canal Company, to finance the Dam project.
• Britain feared it would become more difficult to trade via canal- viewed Nasser’s
move as anti-Western so thought he may side with USSR.
• Eden believed Nasser’s actions threatened Britain’s status as an imperial power-
viewed Nasser in a similar vein to Hitler- dangerous dictator who needed to be
stopped.
• France shared concerns as well as Israel – secretly agreed a plan with these two and
didn’t inform USA or parliament.
• Israel would invade Egypt; British and French armies would intervene- official reason
was to separate Israeli and Egyptian troops- real reason was to take control of Suez
Canal.
• Plan would probably have succeeded BUT Eden soon faced opp from Labour party,
anti-war protestors and sizeable chunk of British public- most importantly he was
stopped due to USA intervention.
US intervention
• US outraged by British actions- demanded immediate ceasefire- once this was clear
Britain had little choice to withdraw.
• Britain appealed to IMF for loan (embarrassing)- The US blocked this, Saudi imposed
oil embargo on Britain and the US refused to compensate for this- financial pressure
forced withdrawal- Macmillan told Eden to halt military action.
Impacts of Suez
• Eden’s reputation was destroyed- he’d been viewed as a foreign policy specialist-
decision to withhold details of the plan from Parliament especially damaging
• Early blow to the reputation of the ‘Establishment’ – seen as corrupt and dishonest.
• Britain’s reputation as elite world power seriously weakened
• Clear Britain no longer major power- forced into ceasefire by US- who was superior
economically and militarily- Britain’s foreign policy would increasingly have had to be
tied to USA.
Decolonisation
• Atlee’s govt withdraw from India (known as ‘crown jewel of British empire’) –
significant step towards decolonisation.
• 1950’s- independence movements in several colonies e.g., Malaya and Cyprus-
fighting British troops.
• Churchill govt believed a gradual transition from Empire to Commonwealth would be
possible- wanted to contain resistance movements until the people of the colonies
were ready for independence.
