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The Suez/Sinai War (1956) |
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(1956) British
Troops in the Suez Canal,
1956 This
page deals with the Suez War of 1956.
Please use the following information,
links and sources to learn more about the
Anglo-French attack on the Suez Canal and
the Israeli seizure of Egypt's Sinai
Peninsula. A brief
summary of the campaign: In 1956,
three of the Twentieth Century's most
dominant forces came together in a short,
violent clash in the Egyptian regions
known as the Suez Canal and the Sinai
Peninsula. These three forces, (or, to use
a literary term, themes), were:
Nationalism, the Cold War and the
Arab-Israeli
conflict.
Egypt and other Arab nations had recently
gained full independence from the empires
controlled by European powers such as
Great Britain and France. These young
nations with ancient cultures and
histories strove to gain economic and
military sufficiency while asserting their
political rights as free peoples. The Cold
War struggle between the mostly democratic
and capitalist West against the Communist
East dominated by the Soviet Union and
China both helped and hindered the
Nationalist goals of many African and
Asian countries. For example, Egypt sought
foreign aid in building the Aswan Dam
project which would control the wild Nile
River. The United States and Britain,
major players in the West, declined to
help Egypt because of her political and
military ties to the Soviet Union. The
Soviets eagerly rushed in to aid Egypt.
After this, Egypt came to be considered a
friend of the Soviets, and a nation not
overly friendly to the West. In this way,
the Cold War affected the young nation of
Egypt and her relations with the rest of
the world. The Arab-Israeli conflict began
in 1948 and caused Egypt and Israel to be
bitter foes until 1979. The second war
between these Middle East neighbors took
place in 1956. As part of
Egyptian President Nasser's nationalist
agenda, he took control of the Suez Canal
zone away from the British and French
companies which owned it. At the same
time, as part of his ongoing struggle with
Israel, Egyptian forces blocked the
Straits of Tiran, the narrow waterway that
is Israel's only outlet to the Red Sea.
Israel
and Egypt had clashed repeatedly since
their 1948 war as Egypt allowed and
encouraged groups of Palestinian fighters
to attack Israel from Egyptian territory.
In response, Israeli forces constantly
made cross-border raids in retaliation.
Britain and France, both of whom were in
the process of losing their centuries-old
empires, decided on a strategy straight
out of their 19th Century Imperial
histories. This plan led to a joint
invasion and occupation of the Suez Canal
zone by Britain and France. This was meant
to reassert control of this vital waterway
to the British and French companies stung
by Nasser's bold nationalization. At
France's suggestion, planning was
coordinated with Israel, a fact which all
three nations denied for years afterwards.
On October
29, 1956, Israeli troops invaded Egypt's
Sinai Peninsula and quickly overcame
opposition as they raced for Suez. The
next day, Britain and France, following
their part of the script, offered to
temporarily occupy the Canal Zone and
suggested a 10 mile buffer on either side
which would separate the Egyptian forces
from the Israelis. Nasser of course
refused, and on October 31, Egypt was
attacked and invaded by the military
forces of Britain and France. In response
to these developments, the Soviet Union,
which at the time was ruthlessly
suppressing an anti-Communist uprising in
Hungary, threatened to intervene on
Egypt's behalf. President Eisenhower of
the United States pressured Britain,
France and Israel into agreeing to a
cease-fire and eventual withdrawal from
Egypt. The United States, caught by
surprise by the dual invasions, was more
concerned with the Soviet war in Hungary
and the Cold War than with Britain and
France's dealings involving Suez. The last
thing President Eisenhower wanted was a
wider war over Suez. The war itself lasted
for only a week, and invading forces were
withdrawn within the month. As a result,
Egypt now firmly aligned herself with the
Soviet Union, which armed Egypt and other
Arab nations for the continuing struggle
against Israel. Suez War Maps
and Pictures: Map
of the Sinai Peninsula and the Suez Canal
region during the 1956 war. Israeli
Commander Moshe Dayan in the Suez Canal
region during the 1956
war. General
Links: Our 646-671
and 642-642
provide you 100% pass guarantee. You can
get access to ccie
certification and with multiple prep
resources of 220-702
and 642-902. Arab-Israeli
Conflict--The
Hutchison Encyclopedia article on the
Arab-Israeli Wars. American
Reaction to the Suez
War--Places
the Suez Crisis and War within the proper
context of world affairs at the time and
explains America's reactions. Suez
1956--Very
good essay on the Suez Crisis written by
University of San Diego student Chris
Leininger. The
Suez War of 1956 : Table of
Contents--
Part of the Jewish Student Online Research
Center (JSOURCE). Anglo-French
Attack on the Suez Canal Suez
Canal War (1956)--A
web page on French aviation details some
of the French units involved in the
war. Israeli
Invasion of the Sinai 1956
Sinai Campaign--Article
on the Anti-Defamation League
website. Map
of the 1956 Sinai Campaign Egyptian
President Nasser Speech
by Nasser: Sept. 15,
1956--Nasser's
speech on the Suez Canal and negotiations
with Britain and France. Sources: Phillips,
Charles, and Alan Axelrod.Encyclopedia
of Wars.
1st ed. New York: Facts on File, 2004.
Marshall,
S.L.A.Sinai
Victory: Command Decisions in History's
Shortest War: Israel's Hundred-Hour
Conquest of
Egypt.
Morrow, New York, 1958. Herzog,
Chaim.The
Arab-Israeli Wars: War and Peace in the
Middle East from the War of Independence
through Lebanon.
Vintage Books, New York, 1982. Barker,
A.J.Arab-Israeli
Wars.
Hippocrene Books, New York,
1980. "The
History Guy" is a Registered Trademark. Contact
the webmaster |
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Marketing You Can Trust Please
cite this source when appropriate: Lee,
R. "The History Guy: Arab-Israeli Wars: Suez/Sinai
War (1956) " http://www.historyguy.com/suez_war_1956.html Pages
on British, French, Israeli, and Arab
Military History Casualties: Israel: 899
wounded, 4 taken
prisoner Egypt: 900
wounded, 185 taken
prisoner vs. Israeli
forces-- 4,000
wounded, 6,000 taken
prisoner France: 33
wounded Great
Britain: 96
wounded Site
Map--revision
in progress |
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