The Suez-Hungary Crisis (Britain-France Aftermath)

11/13/2006 | Self

[Nextrush]

Howard K. Smith described the aftermath of the Suez Crisis for Great Britain as a case of the "emporer without clothes."

Indeed, the United Kingdom was now confirmed as a second rate power after being forced by economic pressure from the United States to accept a cease-fire, a UN force and withdrawl from Egypt.

The process of withdrawl dragged on for a few months, accompanied by violent protests from Egyptians in Port Said against the British.

UN forces began to arrive on November 21st, 1956 and set up shop.

Meanwhile, the British hoped to get back in the good graces of the United States, which now not only held strings on Britain's currency with an IMF loan, but also provided the oil tankers to keep Britain and all of Western Europe supplied since the canal was blocked by 21 ships sunk during the fighting.

Anthony Eden sought an early meeting with President Eisenhower to improve relations, but the State Department vetoed the idea. They felt it would send a negative message to Middle Eastern countries and make the United States look bad.

Eden soon relinquished power and was replaced by Harold Macmillian. He met Eisenhower in 1957 to restore and rebuild the United States-United Kingdom relationship.

But nations previously supported by the British in the Middle East were threatened in the future. The Nuri al-Said government in Iraq was ovethrown in a bloody military coup in 1958. A series of military coups in the 1960's led to the Baath Party dictatorship that would eventually be headed by Sadaam Hussein.

Newly militant Iraq threated Kuwait in 1961 and British troops were flown there to deter an invasion.

For France, another of many defeats since the days following the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon.

France faced a winter of fuel rationing because of the canal blockage.

France felt betrayed by the United States and Great Britain for giving into the American pressure.

The country's political system (The Fourth Republic) formed in 1946 collapsed. A new Fifth Republic constitution came into force in October 1958.

France's government system would now be led by a strong presidency elected every seven years. Charles DeGaulle was elected the first president in 1959. He pushed for a stronger, more "indepdendent" France with its own nuclear deterrent and separation from NATO (Great Britain and the United States).

French paratroopers left Suez for Cyprus feeling betrayed by their political leaders. They dropped off captured Soviet weapons with Cypriot terrorist groups fighting for independence from the British.

The soldiers then returned to the battle in Algeria, which was France's reason for the Suez attack to begin with.

Their feeling of betrayal would become so deep as France moved towards withdrawl from Algeria that some soliders would attempt a coup in 1961 and form a group known as the OAS (Secret Army Organization). This group tried to assasinate President DeGaulle in 1963.

Algeria was given independence on July 3, 1962. By 1965 an officer's coup like the Egyptian one of the 1950's brought in a radical left-wing government that would provide refuge to radicals and terrorists from all over the world including the United States.

[Nextrush]

Beginning to wrap up the 1956 twin crises series.

All posted under the keyword "1956."

[AngloSaxonChristian]

Britain and France joined with Israel to fight against a muslim take-over left out to dry by the US. Who would imagine the US putting arab countries ahead of it's French, British and Israeli allies these days? Well, maybe they would against France. . . . . ;-)