The canal was an important shipping link between the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Suez. It finally opened in 1869, after 11 years of construction, and France and Britain soon became the major shareholders of the Suez Canal Company.

The seeds of the crisis can be found in Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser's desire to build the Aswan Dam to provide much needed energy and water for irrigation purposes. To achieve this he required financial support, however, his hint of Russian support led to the immediate withdrawal of American financial aid. In response, Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal Company in order to finance the construction programme, and additionally restricted access for Israeli shipping in the area.

The nationalisation took place in July 1956, and despite British and French desires to restore control of the canal, pressure from America forced them to take part in diplomatic negotiations with Egypt. Ultimately these would prove fruitless, and a keen journalist like Linton Andrews was aware of the underlying tensions. However, he still found time to take a much needed holiday in Hythe. While the diary extract merely indicates he was “much perturbed by the Suez Canal Crisis” and wishes he was at work, a more informative storyline was developed by the dramatist.

British and French troops enter Suez Canal zone

In October events came to a head, with an Israeli invasion on 29 October, followed soon after by the subsequent Anglo-French force on 5 November. The latter was dispatched to the Suez Canal zone on the pretext of stopping the fighting between the Israeli and the Egyptian forces. By incorporating Sir Linton Andrews' work on the Yorkshire Post it is possible to inject contemporary events which are not fully covered in the diary.

Dramatic developments

By 6 November it was readily apparent that there was little international support for the intervention. The United Nations subsequently passed a vote of condemnation and the United States of America expressed its determination to halt the operation.

Sir Linton Andrews' diary entries in early November provide a fuller account of his views on the crisis. The dramatised account incorporates part of his diary for 3 November, and subsequent days, to succinctly outline the events occurring in Egypt during early November 1956.

Fuel supplies dwindle

After the end of post-war rationing, the temporary reintroduction of petrol rationing came as a shock. As fuel supplies dwindled, Britain became dependant upon American support for a loan to purchase the necessary emergency oil supplies. Britain’s eventual withdrawal was achieved on the insistence of the American government and, as the diary for 24 November shows, Britain’s dependence upon oil supplies was used as leverage (for clarity this part of the diary was incorporated into the dramatised version seen above). As a result both Sir Anthony Eden and Britain were humiliated.

At this point, the Manchester Guardian published an account on the suspected collusion of Britain, France and Israel. As Linton Andrews' diary shows, he thought this ‘unlikely’, and Eden even denied before parliament that there had been a plot. History has proved otherwise, and today the secret plan between the British, French and Israeli governments to regain control of the Canal is well known.

Content last updated: 19/05/2009

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