Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, in the midst of the Suez Crisis, Pearson made his case for a “peace and police force,” saying: “Peace is far more than ceasing to fire.”. Pearson was Canada’s secretary of state for external affairs (foreign minister) and headed Canada’s delegation to the UN. Privately, however, Ottawa strongly objected to the military action out of concern that it was dividing the Commonwealth, damaging relations with the US, and risking a wider war. The importance of the canal was amplified during the Suez Crisis in 1956, as Egyptian president, Abdul Nasser nationalized the canal company on July 26 1956 forbidding passage of British and French goods. Suez CrisisA concise history of Canadian involvement in the Suez Crisis from the Parks Canada website. The move worried Western governments, as the canal was a vital route for oil travelling to Britain. Mostly Petroleum. Nasser continued to operate the canal as usual, but Britain, France and their regional ally Israel began plotting a military response. Suez canal crisis definition at Dictionary.com, a free online dictionary with pronunciation, synonyms and translation. However, the United States and the Soviet Union responded to events by demanding a cease-fire. The 1956 Suez Crisis was a military and political confrontation in Egypt that threatened to divide the United States and Great Britain, potentially harming the Western military alliance that had won the Second World War. The following day, however, British and French paratroops ignored the vote and landed in the Canal Zone. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. At that time, UN military observers were already being used to monitor cease-fire agreements in Kashmir and Palestine, but a more robust and armoured peacekeeping force had not been tried before. British aggression in Egypt caused the biggest rift between these important allies in the 20th century. When that failed, and the bombing began, Pearson changed tactics. On October 29, 1956, Israeli forces moved across the border, defeated the Egyptian army in the Sinai, captured Sharm al-Sheikh and thereby guaranteed Israeli strategic control over the Straits of Tiran. Lester Bowles PearsonA transcript of Lester Pearson's Nobel Acceptance Speech. On 31 October, Britain and France began bombing the Canal Zone. Another video features Pearson defending his Suez policy. On 4 November, 57 UN states voted in favour of the idea and 19 abstained; no country voted against the peacekeeping mission. Israeli forces advanced on 29 October to within 42 kilometers of the canal. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Egypt’s stated reason for the nationalization of the canal was to use the shipping tolls to finance construction of the Aswan Dam — which promised to control flooding on the Nile, and provide hydroelectricity as well as other means of industrializing the country. Pearson defended his position as the best way to stop the fighting before it spread. Nasser's decision threatened British and French stock holdings in the Company and, as the Canal afforded Western countries access to Middle Eastern oil, also threatened to cut off Europe's oil supply. Accordingly, they sought a military solution that involved Israel. The Suez Crisis of 1956, in which the Egyptian Government seized control of the Suez Canal from the British and French owned company that managed it, had important consequences for U.S. relations with both Middle Eastern countries and European allies.

The ensuing Suez Crisis threatened regional stability and challenged the U.S. relationship with two primary Cold War allies, Britain and France. Signing up enhances your TCE experience with the ability to save items to your personal reading list, and access the interactive map. He spent the summer and fall of 1956 working toward a diplomatic solution to the Suez Crisis. The 1956 Suez Crisis was a military and political confrontation in Egypt that threatened to divide the United States and Great Britain, potentially harming the Western military alliance that had won the. Suez Canal HistoryA brief overview of the many Egyptian and international enterprises that attempted to build and operate the Suez Canal through the centuries. Nasser did not retreat. Britain and France lost influence in the region and suffered humiliation after the withdrawal of their troops from the Canal Zone.

If Egypt blocked the flow of oil, Nasser could badly damage the British economy. In his acceptance speech, he highlighted Canada's important role in the breakthrough. In 1875 the canal was converted from Franco-Egyptian to Franco-British ownership. In the 1957 Canadian election, Pearson’s Liberals, under the leadership of Prime Minister Louis St–Laurent, faced accusations that they had betrayed Britain — still regarded by many Canadians as the Mother Country. I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given to participate in that work as a representative of my country, Canada, whose people have, I think, shown their devotion to peace.”. The incident severely damaged Anglo-American relations. Some in Canada and Britain objected to Ottawa's perceived lack of support for Britain. They secretly contacted the Israeli Government and proposed a joint military operation in which Israel would invade the Sinai and march toward the Suez Canal zone after which Britain and France would issue a warning to both Egypt and Israel to stay away from the Canal. The Suez crisis was just a few years removed from the first use of collective security in Korea under the auspices of the U.N., and the Soviets had been crushing the Hungarian uprising.
A major international incident that arose in 1956 from the decision by Gamal A. Nasser of Egypt (see also Egypt) to nationalize the Suez Canal, which long had been controlled by Great Britain. A United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) under the command of Canadian General E.L.M. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. Pearson’s solution allowed Britain, France and Israel to withdraw their forces without giving the appearance of having been defeated. On July 26, 1956, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the British and French owned Suez Canal Company that operated the Suez Canal. See menu on the left for biographical notes on Canada’s fourteenth prime minister. Pearson won the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize for his initiative in Egypt. Do you remember all the words from last week, September 21–27, 2020? Working with colleagues at the UN, he developed the idea for the UN’s first, large-scale peacekeeping force. Absentee Ballot vs. Mail-In Ballot: Is There A Difference? The hostile view of some Canadians towards their country's role in the Suez Crisis is thought to have played a part in the Liberal government's defeat in the national election. having or characterized by persistent or earnest desire. The US continued to pressure British Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden to find a peaceful resolution. The United States had played a moderating role, and in so doing had improved its relations with Egypt, but the fundamental disputes between Israel and its neighbors remained unresolved. “Affect” vs. “Effect”: Use The Correct Word Every Time, 10 Types Of Nouns Used In The English Language, The Most Epic Words You’re Probably Neglecting.

Lester Pearson and the Suez CrisisView a 1956 video clip in which Lester Pearson, then Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs, introduces his groundbreaking proposal for a UN peacekeeping force.
Summary of the Suez Crisis Erupted on July 26, 1956; the Egyptian president, Abdul Nasser nationlises the Suez Canal company as it was previously owned by the British and French. The United States, which had been excluded from the planned invasion, denounced it. Without support from the United States and Britain, Nasser needed the revenue generated from tolls collected from ships using the Suez Canal to subsidize the cost of building the dam.

And his role in creating the UN’s first modern peacekeeping force pointed the way to the future; UN-sponsored peacekeeping missions would become the proud centrepiece of Canada's military and diplomatic activities around the world for decades to come. This force arrived in Egypt in mid-November. The Suez Crisis of 1956, in which the Egyptian Government seized control of the Suez Canal from the British and French owned company that managed it, had important consequences for U.S. relations with both Middle Eastern countries and European allies. From the Suez Canal Authority website. Moreover, relations between the United States and its British and French allies temporarily deteriorated in the months following the war. Publicly, the Canadian government’s role was that of conciliator. From Nobelprize.org. Britain and France issued their ultimatum and landed troops, effectively carrying out the agreed upon operation.

Pearson, however, would go on to become prime minister six years later in 1963.