Contemporary history For each year since 1945, select an event that had a major importance for world affairs. Solution The 1956 Suez Crisis is one of the most important and controversial events in British history since the Second World War. Not only did Suez result in deep political and public division in Britain, it also caused international uproar. It has come to be regarded as the end of Britain\'s role as one of the world powers and as the beginning of the end for the British Empire. In future British foreign policy would be conducted in concurrence with American diplomatic support. This special online exhibition has been developed to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Crisis. The exhibition draws from the Bodleian\'s rich holdings of modern political papers to provide an \'insider\'s viewpoint\' of Suez from politicians, diplomats, civil servants and leading public figures. It includes items from a number of collections which have been acquired within the last decade or so. The Suez Crisis erupts on July 26, 1956 when Egyptian President Abdul Nasser nationalises the Suez Canal Company – which had been run by the French with the British government as the largest single shareholder. On October 29, 1956, Israeli armed forces pushed into Egypt toward the Suez Canal after Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918-70) nationalized the canal in July of that same year, initiating the Suez Crisis. The Israelis soon were joined by French and British forces, which nearly brought the Soviet Union into the conflict, and damaged their relationships with the United States. In the end, the British, French and Israeli governments withdrew their troops in late 1956 and early 1957. The 120-mile Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, took 10 years to construct and opened in 1869. The canal was developed by Frenchman Ferdinand de Lesseps, who in the 1880s made an unsuccessful attempt to develop the Panama Canal..

1. Contemporary history
For each year since 1945, select an event that had a major importance for world affairs.
Solution
The 1956 Suez Crisis is one of the most important and controversial events in British history
since the Second World War. Not only did Suez result in deep political and public division in
Britain, it also caused international uproar. It has come to be regarded as the end of Britain's role
as one of the world powers and as the beginning of the end for the British Empire. In future
British foreign policy would be conducted in concurrence with American diplomatic support.
This special online exhibition has been developed to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Crisis.
The exhibition draws from the Bodleian's rich holdings of modern political papers to provide an
'insider's viewpoint' of Suez from politicians, diplomats, civil servants and leading public
figures. It includes items from a number of collections which have been acquired within the last
decade or so.
The Suez Crisis erupts on July 26, 1956 when Egyptian President Abdul Nasser nationalises the
Suez Canal Company – which had been run by the French with the British government as the
largest single shareholder.
On October 29, 1956, Israeli armed forces pushed into Egypt toward the Suez Canal after
Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918-70) nationalized the canal in July of that same
year, initiating the Suez Crisis. The Israelis soon were joined by French and British forces, which
nearly brought the Soviet Union into the conflict, and damaged their relationships with the
United States. In the end, the British, French and Israeli governments withdrew their troops in
late 1956 and early 1957.
The 120-mile Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, took 10 years
to construct and opened in 1869. The canal was developed by Frenchman Ferdinand de Lesseps,
who in the 1880s made an unsuccessful attempt to develop the Panama Canal.