When Was the Suez Crisis?

On 26 July 1956, Egyptian President Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal Company, which had been jointly owned by British and French shareholders since its construction in 1869. Nasser needed revenue for the Aswan Dam after the US and Britain withdrew funding. In response, Britain, France, and Israel launched a secret coordinated attack (the Protocol of Sevres): Israel invaded the Sinai on 29 October, and Anglo-French forces occupied the Canal Zone on 5 November. The military operation was successful but politically catastrophic. The US, under Eisenhower, furiously opposed the invasion and threatened economic sanctions. The Soviet Union issued nuclear threats. Under intense pressure, the invaders withdrew by December. The crisis marked the definitive end of Britain and France as global imperial powers, confirmed US and Soviet superpower status, and established Nasser as a hero of Arab nationalism and the Non-Aligned Movement.