Suez and decolonisation

why was the Suez Canal so important?

80% of W.Europe’s oil imports passed through the canal

operated by the Suez Canal Company (mainly French investor) until 1956

empire and econ

who was Colonel Nasser?

nationalist leader, Egyptian President in 1956

what did Br and USA pulling out of Aswan Dam project mean for Nasser

no longer had Br and USA investment

what did Nasser then do that was viewed as anti-Western?

nationalised the suez canal company

indicated the Br that he may side with the USSR in the cold war

why was Eden so definite that Nasser needed to be stopped?

he was a leading opponent to appeasement of Hitler in 30s so he knew that Nasser needed to be stopped as a dangerous dictator

what was the plot for Suez?

• France shared Br’s concerns; Israel also hostile, feared Nasser

• Br, Fr, Israel met at Sevres and secretly agreed a plan

• the USA and Parliament were not informed

• plan:

• Israel would invade Egypt and Br and FR would intervene

• official reason was to enforce peace but the real reason was to seize control of the canal

when was the plan put into effect?

29th October 1956 - Israel invaded

when the invasion happened, who did Eden face opposition from?

the Labour Party, anti-war protestors and a lot of the Br public

what was the crucial factor that meant that Eden would not push ahead with Suez?

US intervention

US intervention

• USA made it clear it was opposed to these actions and demanded an immediate ceasefire

• Br had little choice but to withdraw

BR applies to the IMF for a loan

• closure of canal damaged the UK oil supply

• US blocked the appeal

who imposed an oil embargo on BR

Saudi Arabia

• US refused to provide oil to compensate

IMPACT of Suez Crisis?

• destroyed Eden’s reputation - always viewed as a foreign policy specialist so it was ironic that FP was the thing to bring him down; also kept it a secret - damaging

• blow to reputation of the ‘Establishment"‘ - corrupt and dishonest

• Br’s reputation as a force for good in the world was seriously weakened

• clear that Br was no longer a major power; forced into ceasefire by US - superior economic and military strength apparent

  • BR’s fp would increasingly have to be tied to that of the US

DECOLONISATION: early moves towards this

Attlee’s govt withdrew from India in 1947

50s - independence movements were fighting Br troops, e.g., Malaya and Cyprus

Churchill believed a gradual transition from Empire to Commonwealth would be possible

when did the govt want to contain resistance movements until?

until the people of colonies were ‘ready’ for independence

what incident in 1952 did they apply these principles to?

Jomo Kenyatta’s Mau Mau Rebellion

what was Winds of Change

Macmillan’s famous speech in 1960

“winds of change” were blowing across the African continent

what was Mac’s hope for the newly independent countries in Africa

that they would allow black majority rule and would follow ‘western’ model of capitalist democracy, and not Soviet-style rule

evidence of decolonisation

Macmillan’s approach led to swift and significant change

when did Ghana become independent?

1957

when did Nigeria and Cyprus become independent?

1960

when did Tanganyika and Sierra Leone become independent?

1961

when did Uganda become independent?

1962

when did Kenya become independent?

1963