# Canonical recap data for Suez Crisis (1956)
# Source: https://recap.at/1956/suez-crisis
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: suez-crisis
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1956/suez-crisis"
title: Suez Crisis
aliases:
- Suez Campaign
- Second Arab-Israeli War
- Tripartite Aggression
- 1956 Suez War
subtitle: ""
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1956-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1956
decade: 1950
country:
name: Egypt
slug: egypt
summaryShort: Egypt's President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal in July 1956, prompting Britain, France, and Israel to launch a military intervention that collapsed within months under international pressure.
summaryLong: |-
  On July 26, 1956, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal, a waterway that had been under British and French control since its construction in 1869. The move was a direct response to the United States and Britain withdrawing financial support for the Aswan High Dam project-a cornerstone of Nasser's modernization plans. Britain and France, both dependent on Canal revenues and alarmed by Nasser's pan-Arab nationalism, began plotting a military response almost immediately. Israel, facing fedayeen attacks from Egyptian territory and economic blockade at the Gulf of Aqaba, seized the opportunity to join what would become a coordinated assault.

  On October 29, 1956, Israel invaded the Sinai Peninsula. Two days later, Britain and France launched air strikes on Egyptian airfields and ports, claiming they were separating the combatants-a transparently false pretext that fooled almost no one. British and French paratroops landed near Port Said on November 5, and within days had captured the northern section of the Canal. The invasion was militarily successful but politically catastrophic. Soviet Premier Nikolai Bulganin threatened to intervene on Egypt's behalf, while US President Dwight Eisenhower, concerned about Cold War escalation and furious at being blindsided by America's closest allies, led international condemnation at the United Nations.

  The financial and diplomatic pressure proved overwhelming. Sterling reserves drained rapidly as investors fled British currency; Eisenhower made clear the US would not support an IMF loan to stabilize the pound. By November 7, after just six days of ground operations, Britain agreed to a ceasefire. France and Israel followed reluctantly over the next week. By March 1957, all foreign troops had withdrawn from Egyptian territory. Nasser, whose forces had been routed militarily, emerged as the political victor-he'd defied the Western powers, retained control of the Canal, and became the de facto leader of the Arab world.

  The crisis marked the effective end of European imperial power in the Middle East and reshaped Cold War alignments in the region. Britain's humiliation accelerated its withdrawal from east of Suez and diminished its standing as a global power. France's experience fed resentment toward NATO and the Anglo-American special relationship, contributing to its later nuclearization and eventual independence from NATO command. Egypt remained non-aligned but drifted closer to the Soviet sphere, while Israel's swift military performance-it conquered the Sinai in 100 hours-established a reputation for tactical brilliance that would define regional dynamics for decades.

  In retrospect, Suez was a hinge moment. It was the last time Britain and France attempted a major military action outside NATO; it demonstrated that American veto power extended to its oldest allies; and it proved that nationalist movements in the postcolonial world could withstand or absorb military defeat and still win politically. The Canal itself remained Egyptian, and has been so ever since.
lede: In July 1956, Egypt's president Gamal Abdel Nasser seized control of the Suez Canal from British and French owners. Britain, France, and Israel launched a military invasion in late October, but American and Soviet pressure forced them to withdraw within weeks. The crisis revealed that the age of European colonial power in the Middle East was over-and that even America's closest allies answered to Washington.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Port_Said_from_air.jpg/1280px-Port_Said_from_air.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Suez Crisis"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 50
keyFacts:
- label: Date of nationalization
  value: July 26, 1956
- label: Date of Israeli invasion
  value: October 29, 1956
- label: Duration of ground operations
  value: 6 days (November 5–7, 1956)
- label: Time for Israeli conquest of Sinai
  value: 100 hours
- label: Ceasefire date
  value: November 7, 1956
- label: Final foreign troop withdrawal
  value: March 1957
- label: Canal reopened to traffic
  value: April 1957
- label: UK sterling reserves lost (estimate)
  value: £100 million in 6 months
timeline:
- date: 1956-07-26
  title: Nasser nationalizes the Suez Canal
  description: Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser announces state seizure of the Suez Canal in response to US and UK withdrawal of funding for the Aswan High Dam project. Britain and France, primary stakeholders in the Canal Company, begin coordinating a military response.
- date: 1956-10-29
  title: Israel invades the Sinai Peninsula
  description: Israeli forces cross into Egyptian territory, moving toward the Suez Canal. The operation aims to eliminate fedayeen bases and break the Egyptian blockade at the Gulf of Aqaba.
- date: 1956-10-31
  title: Britain and France issue ultimatum
  description: London and Paris issue a 12-hour ultimatum to both Egypt and Israel to cease hostilities and withdraw from the Canal zone, falsely presenting themselves as neutral peacekeepers.
- date: 1956-11-01
  title: Anglo-French air strikes begin
  description: British and French aircraft bomb Egyptian airfields and ports. The campaign destroys much of Egypt's air force on the ground but fails to achieve air superiority quickly.
- date: 1956-11-05
  title: Paratroops land at Port Said
  description: British and French paratroopers land at Port Said and Port Fuad. Ground forces begin capturing the northern section of the Canal, advancing toward Ismailia.
- date: 1956-11-06
  title: Eisenhower demands ceasefire at UN
  description: US President Dwight Eisenhower introduces a ceasefire resolution at the UN Security Council. Soviet Premier Nikolai Bulganin threatens unilateral intervention on Egypt's behalf if hostilities continue.
- date: 1956-11-07
  title: Britain accepts ceasefire
  description: Facing financial crisis (sterling reserves hemorrhaging), diplomatic isolation, and American refusal to support an IMF loan, Britain agrees to stop military operations after just six days of ground combat.
- date: 1956-11-08
  title: France and Israel announce ceasefire
  description: France and Israel reluctantly agree to halt operations, ending the coordinated military campaign.
- date: 1956-12-22
  title: Last British troops depart
  description: British forces complete withdrawal from Egyptian territory.
- date: 1957-03-16
  title: Israeli withdrawal complete
  description: The last Israeli forces withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza, ending the occupation.
- date: 1957-04-09
  title: Suez Canal reopens to traffic
  description: The Canal, blocked during the conflict and blockaded by Egypt to prevent Israeli passage, reopens to international shipping under Egyptian control.
sources: []
related: []
relationships:
- targetSlug: suez-canal-opens
  type: happened_during
  confidence: 95
  evidence: The 1956 Suez Crisis erupted over control of the canal that had existed since its opening in 1869; Nasser's nationalization directly challenged the Western-dominated colonial-era operating regime of the waterway.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: camp-david-accords-1978
  type: caused
  confidence: 78
  evidence: The 1956 Suez Crisis and subsequent 1967 Six-Day War created the security dilemma that drove Anwar Sadat to seek a separate peace with Israel in 1978, breaking Arab solidarity and ending major interstate wars in the region.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: gulf-war
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Suez Crisis" references "Gulf War" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: july-revolution-france-1830
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Suez Crisis" references "July Revolution in France" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: may-1968-paris-uprising
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Suez Crisis" references "May 1968 Paris Uprising" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/Greek_soldarity_with_Egyptian_during_Suez_crisis_1956.jpg/1280px-Greek_soldarity_with_Egyptian_during_Suez_crisis_1956.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/Greek_soldarity_with_Egyptian_during_Suez_crisis_1956.jpg/800px-Greek_soldarity_with_Egyptian_during_Suez_crisis_1956.jpg"
  caption: Greek soldarity with Egyptian during Suez crisis 1956
  credit: Unknown authorUnknown author
  width: 600
  height: 382
  alt: A bilingual Greek and Arabic propaganda document from the Greek-Egyptian Solidarity organization expressing support for Egypt during the 1956 Suez Crisis, featuring two national flags clasped in friendship and text proclaiming that "Greeks of Egypt, now is the time of solidarity."
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/British_carriers_during_Suez_Crisis_1956.jpg/1280px-British_carriers_during_Suez_Crisis_1956.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/British_carriers_during_Suez_Crisis_1956.jpg/800px-British_carriers_during_Suez_Crisis_1956.jpg"
  caption: British carriers during Suez Crisis 1956
  credit: Royal Navy official photographer
  width: 800
  height: 614
  alt: Aerial photograph of British naval vessels during the 1956 Suez Crisis, showing a large cargo or support ship in the foreground with extended cargo booms and several military escort vessels positioned nearby on the open ocean.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Suez_crisis.jpg/1280px-Suez_crisis.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Suez_crisis.jpg/800px-Suez_crisis.jpg"
  caption: Suez crisis
  credit: 2130991likithgunadala unknown
  width: 754
  height: 679
  alt: Two cargo ships navigate through a narrow waterway bordered by sandy embankments and dikes, likely the Suez Canal during the 1956 crisis when Egyptian President Nasser nationalized the strategic waterway, prompting international tensions.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/M_Naguib_letter_to_Abdel-Nasser_1956_Tripartite_Suez_war.png/1280px-M_Naguib_letter_to_Abdel-Nasser_1956_Tripartite_Suez_war.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/M_Naguib_letter_to_Abdel-Nasser_1956_Tripartite_Suez_war.png/800px-M_Naguib_letter_to_Abdel-Nasser_1956_Tripartite_Suez_war.png"
  caption: M Naguib letter to Abdel-Nasser 1956 Tripartite Suez war
  credit: Unknown authorUnknown author
  width: 328
  height: 450
  alt: Handwritten Arabic letter dated 1956 from M Naguib to Abdel-Nasser regarding the Tripartite Suez Crisis, featuring cursive script across multiple lines with editorial markings and annotations.
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: Hound Dog
  artist: Elvis Presley
  year: 1956
  note: Dominant single of the moment; Presley's provocative performance on Ed Sullivan on September 9, 1956 overshadowed geopolitical news in U.S. media.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-22T19:43:47.013Z"
- title: Whatever Lola Wants
  artist: Sarah Vaughan
  year: 1955
  note: Still topping charts in mid-1956; represented sophisticated American post-war optimism despite looming Middle East tensions.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-22T19:43:47.013Z"
topFilms:
- title: The Ten Commandments
  year: 1956
  note: DeMille's epic about Egyptian nationalism and liberation released amid the actual Suez Crisis-eerie coincidence of theme and headline.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-22T19:43:47.013Z"
- title: Around the World in 80 Days
  year: 1956
  note: Todd-AO spectacle celebrating global commerce and connectivity; Suez Crisis threatened the very routes it romanticized.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-22T19:43:47.013Z"
topTVShows:
- title: I Love Lucy
  year: 1956
  note: At peak popularity; American television largely insulated domestic audiences from international crisis coverage.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-22T19:43:47.013Z"
zeitgeistNote: 1956 was the year Western empire visibly cracked. In the U.S., the culture dwelt in Elvis, suburban optimism, and technological confidence; in Europe and the Middle East, the Suez Crisis exposed that imperial authority rested on bluff. The contrast between American pop culture's triumphalism and the actual reordering of global power was stark-most U.S. audiences barely registered the event, while it reshaped the world.
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Suez Canal daily traffic volume
  thenValue: ~40 ships per day
  thenYear: 1956
  nowValue: ~50–60 ships per day
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Capacity increased through widening and deepening projects; the 2021 Ever Given blockage still caused global supply chain chaos.
- metric: World trade dependent on Suez route
  thenValue: ~15% of global seaborne trade
  thenYear: 1956
  nowValue: ~12–13% of global trade (by volume)
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Proportionally lower due to containerization, but absolute volumes vastly larger; geopolitical vulnerability remains acute.
- metric: British military presence in Middle East
  thenValue: Multiple bases, 100,000+ personnel in region
  thenYear: 1956
  nowValue: Minimal; Bahrain as sole major base with ~5,000 personnel
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Complete reversal reflects end of imperial system; U.S. now maintains primary regional force projection.
- metric: Egypt's canal control and revenue
  thenValue: Nationalized; ~$35 million annual revenue initially
  thenYear: 1956
  nowValue: State-owned; ~$7 billion annual revenue
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Canal expansion completed 2016; Egypt's economic dependence on Suez revenues has only deepened despite nominal sovereignty.
- metric: Arab-Israeli regional wars
  thenValue: Suez Crisis as major conflict; Arab-Israeli War imminent
  thenYear: 1956
  nowValue: No interstate wars since 1973; normalization with UAE, Bahrain (2020)
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Suez Crisis accelerated regional militarization; subsequent decades saw cycles of conflict followed by strategic realignment.
impactStatement: On July 26, 1956, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, triggering a military intervention by Britain, France, and Israel that exposed the limits of European imperial power and accelerated decolonization across the Middle East and Africa. The crisis marked the moment when Cold War superpowers, not fading empires, would determine global order.
consequences:
- title: Suez Crisis military intervention begins
  year: 1956
  description: Britain, France, and Israel launch coordinated military operations in October 1956 to seize control of the canal, resulting in over 3,000 casualties and global diplomatic crisis.
- title: UN ceasefire and British withdrawal
  year: 1956
  description: Soviet threats and U.S. pressure force British and French forces to cease operations by November 1956; UN Emergency Force (UNEF) deploys to oversee withdrawal by March 1957.
- title: End of British and French imperial pretensions
  year: 1957
  description: The humiliating retreat signals that Britain and France can no longer act as independent military powers; both nations accelerate decolonization and pivot toward European integration.
- title: Nasser emerges as Arab nationalist hero
  year: 1956
  description: Nasser's defiance of Western powers and nominal victory-retaining control of the canal despite military defeat-elevates him to pan-Arab leadership and encourages nationalist movements across the region.
- title: Cold War superpowers dominate Middle East
  year: 1957
  description: The Eisenhower Doctrine (1957) formalizes U.S. commitment to contain Soviet influence in the Middle East, replacing European colonial authority with American strategic competition.
- title: Permanent shift in global power distribution
  year: 1960
  description: By the early 1960s, the Suez Crisis becomes widely recognized as the definitive end of the European-dominated post-WWII order and the beginning of genuine multipolarity.
archiveSnapshots: []
categories:
- war
metaDescription: Egypt seizes the Suez Canal. Britain and France lose their minds. Israel jumps in. The US and USSR say absolutely not. Colonial powers get humbled, Nasser becomes a legend.
originSignals:
- "wikipedia:suez-crisis"
geo:
lat: 26.2540493
lng: 29.2675469
place: Egypt
note: Location inferred from recap.country via OSM Nominatim.
significance: 25
heroImageAlt: Aerial photograph showing massive columns of black smoke rising from an industrial or port area near a waterway during the Suez Crisis, with residential neighborhoods visible in the surrounding landscape and aircraft visible in the sky above.
translations:
es:
lede: En julio de 1956, el presidente egipcio Gamal Abdel Nasser tomó el control del Canal de Suez de manos de propietarios británicos y franceses. Gran Bretaña, Francia e Israel lanzaron una invasión militar a finales de octubre, pero la presión estadounidense y soviética los obligó a retirarse en cuestión de semanas. La crisis reveló que la era del poder colonial europeo en Oriente Medio había terminado, y que incluso los aliados más cercanos de Estados Unidos respondían a Washington.
summaryShort: El presidente egipcio Gamal Abdel Nasser nacionalizó el Canal de Suez en julio de 1956, lo que impulsó a Gran Bretaña, Francia e Israel a lanzar una intervención militar que colapsó en cuestión de meses bajo presión internacional.
summaryLong: |-
  El 26 de julio de 1956, el presidente egipcio Gamal Abdel Nasser anunció la nacionalización del Canal de Suez, una vía navegable que había estado bajo control británico y francés desde su construcción en 1869. El movimiento fue una respuesta directa al retiro del apoyo financiero de Estados Unidos y Gran Bretaña para el proyecto de la Presa Alta de Asuán, una piedra angular de los planes de modernización de Nasser. Gran Bretaña y Francia, ambas dependientes de los ingresos del Canal y alarmadas por el nacionalismo panárabe de Nasser, comenzaron a planificar una respuesta militar casi de inmediato. Israel, enfrentando ataques fedayín desde territorio egipcio y bloqueo económico en el Golfo de Aqaba, aprovechó la oportunidad para unirse a lo que se convertiría en un asalto coordinado.

  El 29 de octubre de 1956, Israel invadió la Península del Sinaí. Dos días después, Gran Bretaña y Francia lanzaron ataques aéreos contra aeródromos y puertos egipcios, alegando que separaban a los combatientes, un pretexto transparentemente falso que engañó a casi nadie. Paracaidistas británicos y franceses desembarcaron cerca de Puerto Said el 5 de noviembre, y en cuestión de días habían capturado la sección norte del Canal. La invasión fue militarmente exitosa pero políticamente catastrófica. El Premier soviético Nikolai Bulganin amenazó con intervenir a favor de Egipto, mientras que el presidente estadounidense Dwight Eisenhower, preocupado por la escalada de la Guerra Fría e furioso por haber sido sorprendido por los aliados más cercanos de América, lideró la condena internacional en las Naciones Unidas.

  La presión financiera y diplomática resultó abrumadora. Las reservas de libras esterlinas se drenaron rápidamente mientras los inversores huían de la moneda británica; Eisenhower dejó claro que Estados Unidos no apoyaría un préstamo del FMI para estabilizar la libra. El 7 de noviembre, después de solo seis días de operaciones terrestres, Gran Bretaña acordó un alto el fuego. Francia e Israel siguieron con reticencia durante la siguiente semana. En marzo de 1957, todas las tropas extranjeras se habían retirado del territorio egipcio. Nasser, cuyas fuerzas habían sido derrotadas militarmente, emergió como el vencedor político: había desafiado a las potencias occidentales, retuvo el control del Canal, y se convirtió en el líder de facto del mundo árabe.

  La crisis marcó el fin efectivo del poder imperial europeo en Oriente Medio y reformuló las alineaciones de la Guerra Fría en la región. La humillación de Gran Bretaña aceleró su retirada del este de Suez y disminuyó su estatus como potencia global. La experiencia de Francia alimentó el resentimiento hacia la OTAN y la relación especial angloamericana, contribuyendo a su posterior nuclearización e independencia eventual del mando de la OTAN. Egipto se mantuvo no alineado pero se acercó más a la esfera soviética, mientras que el desempeño militar rápido de Israel (conquistó el Sinaí en 100 horas) estableció una reputación de brillantez táctica que definiría la dinámica regional durante décadas.

  En retrospectiva, Suez fue un momento clave. Fue la última vez que Gran Bretaña y Francia intentaron una acción militar importante fuera de la OTAN; demostró que el poder de veto estadounidense se extendía a sus aliados más antiguos; y probó que los movimientos nacionalistas en el mundo poscolonial podían resistir o absorber la derrota militar y aun así ganar políticamente. El Canal en sí siguió siendo egipcio, y ha sido así desde entonces.
generatedAt: "2026-06-03T07:08:47.675Z"
fr:
lede: En juillet 1956, le président égyptien Gamal Abdel Nasser s'empara du contrôle du canal de Suez aux dépens des propriétaires britanniques et français. La Grande-Bretagne, la France et Israël lancèrent une invasion militaire fin octobre, mais les pressions américaine et soviétique les forcèrent à se retirer en quelques semaines. La crise révéla que l'époque de la puissance coloniale européenne au Moyen-Orient était révolue-et que même les plus proches alliés de l'Amérique répondaient à Washington.
summaryShort: Le président égyptien Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalisa le canal de Suez en juillet 1956, incitant la Grande-Bretagne, la France et Israël à lancer une intervention militaire qui s'effondra en quelques mois sous la pression internationale.
summaryLong: |-
  Le 26 juillet 1956, le président égyptien Gamal Abdel Nasser annonça la nationalisation du canal de Suez, une voie navigable sous contrôle britannique et français depuis sa construction en 1869. Ce geste répondait directement au retrait du soutien financier américain et britannique au projet du barrage d'Assouan-un élément clé des plans de modernisation de Nasser. La Grande-Bretagne et la France, dépendantes des revenus du Canal et alarmées par le nationalisme panarabe de Nasser, commencèrent à planifier une riposte militaire presque immédiatement. Israël, confronté à des attaques fedayines depuis le territoire égyptien et à un blocus économique au golfe d'Aqaba, saisit l'occasion de participer à ce qui deviendrait un assaut coordonné.

  Le 29 octobre 1956, Israël envahit la péninsule du Sinaï. Deux jours plus tard, la Grande-Bretagne et la France lancèrent des frappes aériennes sur les aérodromes et les ports égyptiens, prétendant séparer les combattants-un prétexte manifestement faux qui ne trompa presque personne. Les parachutistes britanniques et français débarquèrent près de Port-Saïd le 5 novembre et capturèrent en quelques jours la section septentrionale du Canal. L'invasion fut un succès militaire mais une catastrophe politique. Le premier ministre soviétique Nikolaï Boulganine menaça d'intervenir en faveur de l'Égypte, tandis que le président américain Dwight Eisenhower, préoccupé par l'escalade de la Guerre froide et furieux d'avoir été pris de court par les plus proches alliés de l'Amérique, mena la condamnation internationale à l'Organisation des Nations unies.

  Les pressions financière et diplomatique s'avérèrent écrasantes. Les réserves de livres sterling s'épuisèrent rapidement alors que les investisseurs fuyaient la monnaie britannique ; Eisenhower clairement que les États-Unis ne soutiendraient pas un prêt du FMI pour stabiliser la livre. Le 7 novembre, après seulement six jours d'opérations terrestres, la Grande-Bretagne accepta un cessez-le-feu. La France et Israël suivirent à contrecœur au cours de la semaine suivante. En mars 1957, toutes les troupes étrangères s'étaient retirées du territoire égyptien. Nasser, dont les forces avaient été militairement défaites, émergea comme vainqueur politique-il avait défié les puissances occidentales, conservé le contrôle du Canal et devint le leader de facto du monde arabe.

  La crise marqua la fin effective de la puissance impériale européenne au Moyen-Orient et remodela les alignements de la Guerre froide dans la région. L'humiliation de la Grande-Bretagne accéléra son retrait à l'est de Suez et diminua son statut de puissance mondiale. L'expérience française alimenta le ressentiment envers l'OTAN et la relation spéciale anglo-américaine, contribuant à sa nucléarisation ultérieure et à son indépendance finale du commandement de l'OTAN. L'Égypte demeura non-alignée mais se rapprocha de la sphère soviétique, tandis que la performance militaire rapide d'Israël-il conquit le Sinaï en 100 heures-établit une réputation d'excellence tactique qui définirait la dynamique régionale pendant des décennies.

  Rétrospectivement, Suez fut un moment charnière. Ce fut la dernière fois que la Grande-Bretagne et la France tentèrent une action militaire majeure en dehors de l'OTAN ; cela démontra que le pouvoir de veto américain s'étendait à ses plus anciens alliés ; et cela prouva que les mouvements nationalistes du monde post-colonial pouvaient résister ou absorber une défaite militaire et néanmoins triompher politiquement. Le Canal lui-même demeura égyptien, et l'a été depuis.
generatedAt: "2026-06-03T07:08:56.673Z"
de:
lede: Im Juli 1956 übernahm Ägyptens Präsident Gamal Abdel Nasser die Kontrolle über den Suezkanal von britischen und französischen Eigentümern. Großbritannien, Frankreich und Israel starteten Ende Oktober eine militärische Invasion, wurden aber durch amerikanischen und sowjetischen Druck innerhalb weniger Wochen zum Rückzug gezwungen. Die Krise enthüllte, dass das Zeitalter der europäischen Kolonialmacht im Nahen Osten vorbei war – und dass selbst Amerikas engste Verbündete Washington gehorchten.
summaryShort: Ägyptens Präsident Gamal Abdel Nasser verstaatlichte den Suezkanal im Juli 1956 und veranlasste Großbritannien, Frankreich und Israel zu einer militärischen Intervention, die unter internationalem Druck innerhalb von Monaten zusammenbrach.
summaryLong: |-
  Am 26. Juli 1956 kündigte ägyptischer Präsident Gamal Abdel Nasser die Verstaatlichung des Suezkanals an, einer Wasserstraße, die seit ihrer Fertigstellung 1869 unter britischer und französischer Kontrolle stand. Der Schritt war eine direkte Reaktion auf den Rückzug der Vereinigten Staaten und Großbritanniens aus der Finanzierung des Assuan-Hochdamm-Projekts – einem Eckpfeiler von Nassers Modernisierungsplänen. Großbritannien und Frankreich, beide von den Kanaleinnahmen abhängig und alarmiert durch Nassers panarabischen Nationalismus, begannen fast sofort mit der Planung einer militärischen Reaktion. Israel, das fedayeen-Angriffen von ägyptischem Gebiet ausgesetzt war und unter einer Wirtschaftsblockade in der Bucht von Aqaba litt, ergriff die Gelegenheit, sich an einem koordinierten Angriff zu beteiligen.

  Am 29. Oktober 1956 fiel Israel in die Sinai-Halbinsel ein. Zwei Tage später starteten Großbritannien und Frankreich Luftschläge auf ägyptische Flugplätze und Häfen und behaupteten, sie würden die Kämpfer trennen – ein transparent falscher Vorwand, der fast niemandem Glauben schenkte. Britische und französische Fallschirmjäger landeten am 5. November bei Port Said und hatten innerhalb weniger Tage den nördlichen Abschnitt des Kanals erobert. Die Invasion war militärisch erfolgreich, aber politisch katastrophal. Sowjetpremier Nikolai Bulganin drohte mit einer Intervention zugunsten Ägyptens, während US-Präsident Dwight Eisenhower, besorgt über eine Eskalation des Kalten Krieges und wütend, von Amerikas engsten Verbündeten überrumpelt worden zu sein, die internationale Verurteilung bei den Vereinten Nationen anführte.

  Der finanzielle und diplomatische Druck erwies sich als überwältigend. Die Devisenreserven schwanden schnell, als Investoren die britische Währung mieden; Eisenhower machte klar, dass die USA einen IWF-Darlehen zur Stabilisierung des Pfunds nicht unterstützen würden. Am 7. November, nach nur sechs Tagen Bodenoperationen, stimmte Großbritannien einem Waffenstillstand zu. Frankreich und Israel folgten widerstrebend in der nächsten Woche. Bis März 1957 hatten sich alle ausländischen Truppen aus ägyptischem Gebiet zurückgezogen. Nasser, dessen Truppen militärisch geschlagen worden waren, ging als politischer Sieger hervor – er hatte den westlichen Mächten getrotzt, die Kontrolle über den Kanal behalten und war der de-facto-Anführer der arabischen Welt geworden.

  Die Krise markierte das faktische Ende der europäischen imperialen Macht im Nahen Osten und veränderte die Ausrichtungen des Kalten Krieges in der Region. Großbritanniens Demütigung beschleunigte seinen Rückzug aus dem Gebiet östlich von Suez und schmälerte seinen Status als Weltmacht. Frankreichs Erfahrung schürte Ressentiments gegenüber der NATO und der anglo-amerikanischen Spezialbeziehung, was zu seiner späteren Kernbewaffnung und eventuellen Unabhängigkeit vom NATO-Kommando beitrug. Ägypten blieb blockfrei, driftete aber näher an die sowjetische Sphäre, während Israels schnelle militärische Leistung – es eroberte den Sinai in 100 Stunden – einen Ruf für taktische Brillanz etablierte, der Jahrzehnte lang die regionale Dynamik definieren würde.

  Rückblickend war Suez ein Scharniermoment. Es war das letzte Mal, dass Großbritannien und Frankreich eine größere militärische Aktion außerhalb der NATO unternahmen; es demonstrierte, dass Amerikas Vetorecht sich auf seine ältesten Verbündeten erstreckte; und es bewies, dass Nationalistische Bewegungen in der postkolonialen Welt militärische Niederlagen widerstehen oder absorbieren konnten und trotzdem politisch gewinnen konnten. Der Kanal selbst blieb ägyptisch und ist es seitdem geblieben.
generatedAt: "2026-06-03T07:09:06.831Z"
relatedQueries:
- Suez Canal nationalization 1956
- Gamal Abdel Nasser Egypt
- Britain France Israel military intervention Egypt
- Cold War Middle East conflict
- Suez Crisis international pressure Soviet Union
- Egyptian-Israeli relations 1956
- colonial power decline 20th century
taxonomy:
domain: political
eventTypes:
- annexation
- sanctions
- diplomatic_summit
- government_collapse
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- governance
- transformation
impactRadius: global
velocity: cascading
predictability: emergent
intentionality: coordinated
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: conflict
