SUEZ MARKS a British history which is so complete that it is almost impossible to remember what the world looked like before it. Pre-1956 was an epoch when the British Empire was still very much a reality. Britain had been forced to leave India immediately after War II. It had left Palestine in 1947. But apart British Empire was still marked in red on much of the world's map.
Half of Africa was ruled from London. Britain had colonies Aden and Cyprus. It had Arab states in Jordan and Iraq. Over 100,000 members British armed forces were in the Middle or Far East. British prime ministers Churchill and Attlee met Roosevelt, Truman, Stalin at Yalta and Potsdam to organise the post-war Britain was the only WIll States and the USSR, to possess nuclear weapons, governments claimed, again with the US and Soviet Union, to be part The Road to Suez 1948 1951 1952 1954 1955 1956 20 July 1956 26 July 1956 27 July.
1956 2 August 1956. 5 August 1956 2 September 1956 5 November 1956 6 November 1956 22 November 1957 10 January 1957 March 1958 July in the watershed in circumferences Commonwealth, Alliance with and Europe.
British military True, Britain had that the MaLe! in client (the Central Treaty the involving Turkey, Pakistan). alongside the United States, Korean this state in the into United British During State of Israel proclaimed Nationalisation of Anglo-Iranian Oil Company Egyptian monarchy overthrown in coup led by Nasser Beginning of Algerian war of independence from France. Britain agrees to withdraw its military bases from Egypt Egypt signs arms deal with Czechoslovakia Last British troops leave Egypt under 1954 agreement Britain and US announce they will not help Egypt finance the Aswan dam Egypt announces nationalisation of the Suez canal British government establishes cabinet committee to plan war on Egypt Britain announces call-up of army reservists British and French governments planning for joint invasion of Egypt US warns British government against use of force to regain the Suez canal British prime minister Eden and French prime ministerMollet decide on joint British-French approach to Israel for an invasion of Egypt In a secret conference at Sevres, near Paris, the British, French and Israeli governments agree plans for the invasion of Egypt Israeli troops enter Egyptian territory Britain announces ultimatum, prearranged with Israel, ordering Israeli and Egyptian troops to retire from an area 10 miles either side of the Suez canal Britain and France begin bombing of Egyptian air bases British and French troops invade Egypt US president Eisenhower states that British loans from the International Monetary Fund will be blocked by the United States unless a ceasetire is declared. US organises a run on the pound, and Britain loses a sixth of its gold ana dollar reserves in a single day. bulam and rrance declare ceasefire at midnight on same day Last British and French troops leave Egypt Eden resigns Israeli forces leave Egypt Iraqi monarchy overthrown
fateful decision which led to the acle at Suez. If the United States Hormot back Britain. then Britain ald act without it as a 'great power'.
British embassy in Washinton was without an ambassador for a monBritain stepped up its coordination other allies for the attack on TE FRENCH government had involved in British plans for attach 154 pe belloth gainst rebellion such rule in Algeria had broken a Nasser supported the Algerian donal Liberation its war for Algerian pendence, The French ser bros for winning the plans winning gerian war. France had been supting arms to the Isrealis -* also wanted the weakening of Rypt.
British, French and Israeli agreemat to attack Egypt was rapidly arrivat. In a secret treaty concluded at France, on 22 October it was eed that Israel would invade Egypt end of October. ince would then declare that the Suez al was endangered. This would be rowed by an ultimatum to the Egypin government to allow British and ench troops to enter the country to afeguard' the canal.
in line with Israel invaded Egypt.
Eden, in a direct lie to the House •Commons, declared: 'Five days ago as was recelved that the pernment were taking sures of mobilisations. dy's government at once instructed * Majesty's ambassador at Tel Aviv make enquiries of the Israeli minister foreign affairs traint. Eden then stated: :In the meantime, as a result of the the United have thwith and to withdraw their Furthermore. separate the move temporarily both have not undertaken to with these requirements, against planes began bombing Front (FLN)
inwanted refused to who ing on Port Said and Port Faud.
Britain's power
posed. The US of a severity it has never templated against South Africa.
Britain and its funds the On 30 Oc- Dound.
, of the exchequer, wrote:
Israel certain Her Maurge the second was forgive. consultations held in London today, Kingdom French now addressed urgent communications to the governments of Egypt and Israel. In these we have called upon both sides to stop all warlike action by land, sea and air forImitals forces to a distance of 10 miles from the belligerents to guarantee freedom of transit through the canal by the ships of all nations, we have asked the Egyptian government to agree that Anglo-French forces should •• into key positions at Port Said, Ismailia and Suez.
"The governments of Egypt and Israel have been asked to answer this It has been made clear to them that, if comply British and French forces will intervene in whatever strength may be necessary to secure On 31 October British and French Egypt. On 1 November the United Nations general assembley passed a United States motion demanding an immediate ceasefire by 64 votes to 5 with 6 abstentions. Britake the warning seriously and on 5 November British and French parachutists began dropp It was then that the harsh realities of in the world were exbegan applying economic sanctions against Britain -even conUS Federal Reserve Bank began selling The weak towards pounds in large quantities. One sixth of British gold and dollar reserves disappeared in a single day as the British George government attempted to defend the value of the pound. The US also began, illegally, to block British withdrawal of (ment the Monetary Fund to use to defend the rationing.
Harold Macmillan, then chancellor would not have been unduly concerned had we declare been able to obtain either the money to December which we are entitled from the International Monetary Fund or, better still, some aid by way of a temporary loan from the United States. The refusal of understandable; the obstruction of the first is not easy to gering, tionalist Eden at the 1956 Suez conference: a fraud to try and line up other European powers behind Britain We had a perfect right under the statutes to ask for the repayment of the British quota. I telephoned urgently to New York; the matter was referred to Washington. • I received the reply that the American government would not agree to this technical procedure until we had agreed a ceasefire ... I was a form of pressure altogether unworthy. It contrasted strangely with the allituac of the Americans Egyptian funds counts" after the seizure of the canal.' US Secretary …ot the "reasur Humphrey put it still bluntly to Macmilian: 'You will not get a dime from the United States govern• until you have gotten out of Suez? The United States also refused to supply oil to Britain - forcing the British government to introduce petrol Within of the British troops landing they forced to ceasefire. the end of British and French forces ment had been humiliated. On nhumiliated.
January 1957, two months after the invasion of Suez, Eden resigned The international impact was stagNasser, the Arab nawon crushing victory against Britain. It had been demonstrated openly that Britain was incapable of taking any major international initiative independently of the United States publicly the end of Britain as a 'great power' which could be considered even in the same breath as the United States or the Soviet Union.
In i terms British government tried to avoid ad"ac- mitting anything had changed. Macmillan, in his first broadcast as prime more 'Every now and again since the war I have heard people say: only a second- or third-class now? Isn't she on the way out?" What nonsense. [his is a great: country and do not let us be ashamed to say so Twice in my lifetime I have heard the same old tale about our being a second rate power, and I have lived to see the answer . more defeatist talk powers and of dreadful things to come. Britain has been great, is great, and will stay great provided we close our ranks and get on with the job.' Randolph Churchill, speaking the same year, could declare: 'Britain can knock down twelve cities in the region of Stalingrad and Moscow from bases idle and Far East. century.
Wak of the empire. only Suez announced present day of public relations the nounced:
power. 1957, declared 'Isn't Britain to gain admittance.
already So do not let us have any of second-rate the Socialist Actión 7 Nov 1986 in Britain and another dozen in the Crimea from bases in Cyprus. We did not have that power at the time of Suez We are a major power again.' In 1958 there were still over 100,000 members of the British armed forces in the MidBut behind the rhetoric the real consequences were devasting and rapidly absorbed. In January 1957 the new defence secretary, Duncan Sandys, announced probably the most thorough going peace time military The ending of conscription announced The size of British armed forces were cut by half. British military spending fell from 7.6 per cent economy in 1956to to per percent in 1962. In 1960 Macmillan made his tamous winds of change speech in Cape Town announcing the British intention of withdrawal from its African The remnants of the old British empire were then rapidly desmantled in 1957 Ghana, Sudan and Malaya hac gained independence. But in 12 years after Suez more than 20 states gained independence from Britain. By 1980 Gibralter, Hong Kong, the 'Falklands' and a few other imperial outposts remainded. In the Middle East itself Suez was followed by the overthrow of the Iraqi monarchy in 1958, a revolution Syria destablisation which has lasted until the The tidying up came later. In 1968 Denis Healey formally announced the end of all British military presence 'east of Suez.' In 1969 the same Healey antransformation from a world power to a As Britain could no longer sustain its independent imperial role on the old basis it sought a new position in the In 1961 Macmillan took the fateful decision to apply for membership of the EEC - although it took a further eleven years before Britain was But in one month 1956 a British Empire which had been dying was publicly Slaughtered in front of the world.
Suez was the event it British post war history. Nasser is one of the greatest heroes of the Arab world. For his role in killing off the remnants of the British Empire he also deserves a place in the list of heroes of British socialist movement. The world we live in today is still shaped by these events of thirty years ago.
Socialist Action 7 Nov 1986 inherently racist than any other national liberation should be a natural task for a non-racist socialist
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collides with Nasser ... nd the United States