Qu 3 Did public opinion in Britain support Eden's decision to take 'military action against Egypt'? Explain your answer using the sources and your own knowledge.

Authors Avatar

Charlie Edge                                 GCSE History Coursework                                    Ryle

The Suez Crisis 1956

Qu 3        Did public opinion in Britain support Eden’s decision to take ‘military action against Egypt’? Explain your answer using the sources and your own knowledge.

At the time of the Suez Crisis Britain was a divided nation. Many people supported Eden and believed the war was a just cause. However, there were also many people who believed that a war with Egypt was foolish and worthless. These people questioned Eden’s theory that Nasser would disallow British shipping to travel through the Canal. They believed that Nasser was on a quest for money and wealth and would not wish to lose the trade from Britain to the Far East. This trade was providing Nasser with the wealth he so desired, but Eden and many other people thought the exact opposite. They thought that Nasser would cut off the vital trade route from the UK to the Far East in an attempt to disintegrate the British economy.

Join now!

Source D is an extract taken from the Daily Mirror in July 1956. This source is strongly in favour of war claiming the similarities between Nasser and Hitler saying that if war was to be fought Nasser would end up dismayed and dismantled in his beloved country. It claims Nasser has used crude and dangerous methods to ensure himself being known as a “Big Shot”. The Daily Mirror, being a tabloid paper, would be read by many from different classes and backgrounds. This suggests the view of following Eden would be well advertised. However, I believe that if people ...

This is a preview of the whole essay