1956 - The Suez Crisis #2.14: Attacked At Home

When Diplomacy Fails Podcast

Zack Twamley

19th Century, 20th Century, International Relations, Politics, Thirty Years' War, Korean War, 18th Century, First World War, Phd, 17th Century, European History, History, War

4.8 • 773 Ratings

🗓️ 2 May 2024

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

1956 Episode 2.14 takes us to the scenes facing Anthony Eden in Britain in the final days of October.

Having orchestrated an Israeli-Egyptian war, the plan now was to issue an ultimatum, and for Anglo-French forces to swoop into Egypt to separate the two belligerents. Such a noble act, Eden believed, would cloak the fact that Britain and France were really there to oust Nasser, recoup prestige and occupy the Suez Canal for Western benefit. It was a thoroughly imperialistic, backwards set of policy aims that moved Eden’s government forward, and what he seems to never have suspected during the time he spent crafting it, was just how the opposition in Britain would respond.

Incredibly, the PM seems to have expected everyone to have just believed him and his bare-faced lies. The fact that they did not and that many were aghast as the British act in tandem with France and acting outside of the realm of the UN forced Eden to go on the defensive. The PM had completely underestimated the situation, and he was now put in a position where he would have to lie in order to defend himself.

Amidst rumours which put it that he was largely to blame for the Crisis which was unfolding, Eden would insist that British forces were operating with France to keep the peace, and to protect the interests of the world, represented in the Suez Canal. What a noble set of goals, except of course, the claims were full of hot air. Under such circumstances were political and military disasters made, but the PM had made his bed, conspiratorial and confused as it had been. Now he would be forced to lie in it.

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Transcript

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0:32.6	Come to this station, jump from the train, march at the drawful down lovers' lane,
0:48.0	dead in the glen where the roses entwined, lay down your arms, lay down your arms, lay down your arms and
0:58.7	surrender to mine.
1:02.8	Hello and welcome history friends, patrons all to 1956, episode 2.14.
1:09.8	In the last episode, we counted down the final moments of peace, but we also examined Anthony
1:15.1	Eden's motives for doing the very naughty thing he was about to do.
1:19.5	If the last episode was where all the threads came together, then in this episode, it all
1:25.2	comes apart.
1:26.5	We'll open with some international focus as the American and Egyptian leaders react to the Anglo-French approach,
1:33.3	but then we'll switch gears to set the context of Eden's actions with an examination of how the House of Commons
1:39.5	responded to the Prime Minister's incredible policy.
1:43.1	This is an important episode for understanding how the political opposition, led by Labour leader Hugh Gateskell,
1:50.3	as whispers and rumours about sinister collusion, also did the rounds.
1:55.1	We have a lot to get through, so let's get into it.
1:57.8	I'll now take you to the afternoon of the 29th of October, 1956.
2:07.0	President Nasser reacted to the news of Israel's invasion of the Sinai in a manner similar to the rest of the world.
2:18.5	A big indication something was amiss was the news from the American ambassador that President
2:23.4	Eisenhower had ordered an evacuation of all American nationals from the country.
2:28.6	The British ambassador, Humphrey Trevelyan, unaware at this point on the 29th of October,
	...

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