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Causes Of The Suez Crisis

Satisfactory Essays
The aftermath of Suez Crisis in 1956 shifted the balance of power in the world. To quote Chester Cooper ‘the world was a different place when the crisis was over’. The conflict in the Suez was so great that it ultimately sent waves across the nations involved. Many nations were involved in this crisis, where the developing nations were up against colonial powers, as well as the superpowers, almost resulting to a nuclear warfare. Notably, the crisis took place during the Cold War era, where the United States and the Soviet Unions were then introduced into the Middle East, and eventually setting the stage for the crisis. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the reasons behind the United States’ government decisions, as well as to…show more content…
On the other hand, in regards to British and France, although both States still manage to hold their strength as colonial powers, their influence in Middle East have deteriorated. By the end of the Suez Crisis, they found themselves holding onto the United States to safeguard their economic interests and political stability.
Before 27 July 1956, the American’s relationship with Cairo was already a bitter relationship. America was unhappy with Nasser’s ties with the Communist bloc, and the latter was furious with the formal’s exit from the Aswan Dam project. Albeit the sour relationship, America was still very interested in Arab’s oil. The Washington administration was contemplating the vulnerability that the West is exposed to if oil shipments through the Suez Canal and the pipelines were interrupted. On March 28 1956, the Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles met with President Nasser to persuade the Egyptian President to stop cooperating the Soviet Union, especially since Egypt is enjoying the ‘most favoured nation treatment’ from the United States. In any case, the American diplomat failed to change Nasser’s attitude and policies. With Dulles’s lack of enthusiasm and the President Dwight Eisenhower’s absence in Washington, the administration decided not to proceed with the Aswan Dam funding. Apart from that, in order for Dulles to secure public control over foreign policy, he decided to take full responsibility for the
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