The 1956 Suez Crisis
Nice report from The Economist (here) about the Suez crisis in 1956.
Since it happened 50 years ago, most of what really took place is known and unveiled here.
It is interesting to see how the different states involved manipulated each others and what the said to the press to achieve their goals. And how much power the USA already had at the time.
Indeed, Israel, UK and France agreed in secret that Israel would invade Egypt, giving UK and France an excuse to come to the rescue and then stay and control the Suez Canal (since Nasser wanted to nationalize it and since the French and the British didn't manage to stop this through diplomacy). The USA was kept in the dark on this and when found out, got mad and blackmailed UK to withdraw (which it did). This got the French so pissed off that they started the creation of the EU the next year, in order to build something big enough to balance the USA's power.
2 conclusions to this:
- Governments will bullshit each others and their citizens if needs be (I hope this doesn't come as too much of a surprise to you people :) ! ) and can hide the true motives of their acts (Iraq anyone?).
- Never underestimate the consequences of a little invasion (again, Iraq and the way the whole Middle-East looks now with the redistribution of power since 2003).
Posted in: _Geopolitics , _Democracy
Since it happened 50 years ago, most of what really took place is known and unveiled here.
It is interesting to see how the different states involved manipulated each others and what the said to the press to achieve their goals. And how much power the USA already had at the time.
Indeed, Israel, UK and France agreed in secret that Israel would invade Egypt, giving UK and France an excuse to come to the rescue and then stay and control the Suez Canal (since Nasser wanted to nationalize it and since the French and the British didn't manage to stop this through diplomacy). The USA was kept in the dark on this and when found out, got mad and blackmailed UK to withdraw (which it did). This got the French so pissed off that they started the creation of the EU the next year, in order to build something big enough to balance the USA's power.
2 conclusions to this:
- Governments will bullshit each others and their citizens if needs be (I hope this doesn't come as too much of a surprise to you people :) ! ) and can hide the true motives of their acts (Iraq anyone?).
- Never underestimate the consequences of a little invasion (again, Iraq and the way the whole Middle-East looks now with the redistribution of power since 2003).
Posted in: _Geopolitics , _Democracy
Labels: Democracy, Geopolitics
posted by Bambitroll at
12:45
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