Lester B. Pearson and the Suez Canal Crisis

The Suez crisis was a conflict that could energize easily turned into a third ground War. With a battle between the Israelis and Egyptians at Sinai, the British and French invasion of Egypt, and nuclear threats from the Soviet Union, all of the elements were present to come forward the conflict and pull other countries into the fray. Canada had no direct ties to the Suez crisis, in cost of retard or economic interest. However, Canadian Secretary of State for un involve Affairs, Lester B. Pearson, persuaded the UN planetary Assembly to send in the united Nations Emergency Force. evening thoughLester B. Pearson dismayed the Commonwealth with his measures for peace, Canada was recognized for starting the archetypal ever United Nations Peacekeeping mission. In the 1950s the Middle East was affected by 4 different conflicts each one separate, but relating in many an(prenominal) ways. The first was the rush for geopolitical dominance between the United States and the Soviet Uni on during the Cold War. The Middle East was one of the regions that were disputed. The second oppositeness was between a various Arabian nationalists against the ii residual purple powers of Britain and France.The third was the ongoing Arab-Israeli dispute, and the fourth was the push by many Arab nations for the control of the Arab human beings. The tautness over the Suez Canal began long before the actual combat. These four conflicts all came into focus during the Suez Canal crisis. Long before the Second World War, Britain saw a bright economic future for the Middle East, loosely due to its valuable oil reserves. The Canal was a vital share route in the eastern hemisphereern world, as cargo ships could pass though the Suez, from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, without circumnavigating Africa.The Suez Canals eo-strategic importance during the Cold War prompted Britain to strengthen its stick there. However, it became a topic of controversy in the English and Egyptian re lations. On June 23, 1956 an ultra-nationalist by the name of Gamal Abdel Nasser is voted into power, winning 99 percent of the vote. This does not match Anthony promised land, the Prime Minister of England, as Egypt was always part of Britains world of square up in the Middle East. As the British Broadcasting Corporation quoted, even though Egypt became independent in 1922, Egyptian kings and presidents have always do whatBritish leaders have told them to do. However, Eden was unaware of the root word tack in Egyptian government, which wanted nothing to do with the oppression of the British. In the 1950s, France was tender to assist its Imperial ally Britain in the occupation of the canal. France was to supply Israel with fghter Jets and weapons in a secret plan to invade and overthrow the dangerous radical government. To Egyptian President Nasser, it looks like a very powerful resistance is at the gate of his terra firma. In light of this, Nasser looks abroad for arms. J ust like the loan for the Aswan Dam, he looks upon theUnited States tor the supply ot weapons. Nasser knew i t US Presi en d t Dwight Eisenhower rejected this request, he could turn to their enemy and hold the Soviet Union for weapons. Once the Soviet Union did agree to help, Eisenhower and Anthony Eden saw Nasser as communist for slip of paper such a deal with the Soviets. As a result, they punished him by putting sanctions on Egypt, cutting off military supply and cancelling the financing of the Aswan dam, in attempt to abate Nassers dream of building an independent state. Nasser nationalizes the Suez Canal on July 26, 1956.This infuriates Eden and he wants to invade Egypt. Nasser then issues a statement claiming that he did this to generate tax income for the construction of the Aswan dam. False intelligence relayed from M16 to Anthony Eden tells him what he wants to hear, saying that Nasser is a pawn of the Soviet Union and the Egyptian people would welcome his overthrow. a iriness between US, Soviet Union, Britain, France, Israel and Egypt failed, and in the fall of 1956, Britain, France and Israel secretly plan to blast Egypt. Israel, as planned, made the first assault through the Sinai region to the east of Egypt, onOctober 29, advancing in a single day to within 42 km of the canal. The Israeli advance towards the canal is a fake to project the world that Egypt in danger of being overthrown by the Israelis. The British and French then dissimulate as peacekeepers, trying to diffuse then tension between Egypt and Israel. They offer Nasser an ultimatum Israel and Egypt are to cease fighting or the two Western powers will intervene. On the 31st of October this ultimatum expires and France and Britain attack, bombing Alexandria and direct in thousands of troops. Russia then threatens Britain and France with Nuclear weapons.At this point it looks as though the world is on the brink of another World War. Canada had no interest to the Suez crisis, in ter ms of control, economic or military interest, but Lester B. Pearson saw an opportunity to intervene. While the Cabinet in Ottawa debated about the attack on Egypt, the UN Security Council met in New York. Even though Canada did not have a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, Lester B. Pearson and the outside(prenominal) Affairs delegation of Canada worked towards building an agreement for the proposal to the I-IN, on the Suez Crisis.Encouraged by the US, Yugoslavia makes a Uniting for Peace resolution, which enables a debate to be moved to the General Assembly. The I-JK and France do not block this, however, negative votes would not constitute a veto. The Suez Canal debate is then moved to the widely distributed assembly. This is critical moment for Pearson as Canada can now get conglomerate in the debate. Pearsons team began to work on November 1st and labored urgently for four straight days. The first proposal made by Pearson was to change the French and Brit ish soldiers in Egypt into actual peacekeepers with a UN mandate.However, the fury of the General Assembly would not allow this to happen. Pearson met with US Secretary of State gutter Foster Dulles, and they discussed many ideas but it was Pearsons idea of the International police pull up that they would finally agree upon. Dulles tells Pearson to propose it to the I-IN, and on November 4th, 1956 Pearson d the first ever nited U Nations Peacekeeping torce. The UN General propose Assembly gave validate to the proposal made by Pearson as 57 nations voted for and no country voted Against. Lester B. Pearson would deliver this quote in his proposal We eed action not completely to end the fghting, but to make peaceMy own government would be glad to recommend Canadian participation in such a United Nations Force, a truly international peace and police deposit. After two weeks The UNEF units come into effect in the Suez region. The Peacekeepers would be move between enemy forces unti l a cease-fire or settlement was worked out. The members of the UNEF were bony from middle powers that had no individual interest in the dispute. The force was peaceful of 6000 soldiers, 1000 of which were Canadians including Major General E. LM Burns of Canada who commanded the UN Force.https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRv7G7WpOoUhttp//www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/suez-crisis/ http//www. suezcrisis. ca/http//www.torontosun.com/http//interactivetimeline.com/306/the-united-nations-and-the-israeli-palestinian-conflict/10.phphttps//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suez_Crisis