What influence did the Suez Crisis have on British decolonisation 1956-64?

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Nick Clarke        -  -

What influence did the Suez Crisis have on British decolonisation 1956-64?

The Suez Crisis of 1956 played a large in British decolonisation of the Empire between the period of 1956-64. The crisis and its effects, upset British confidence and prestige; however, the Crisis was not the single cause of the demise of the British Empire.

The military action at the Suez Canal in 1956 can be seen as a success, as the British achieved their aim of driving the Egyptians out of the Suez Canal. However, the war was a diplomatic disaster. Britain was seen as the aggressor and also fallible. It led to a worldwide outcry and Britain was openly criticised by the USA and President Eisenhower. It seemed to the Empire that Britain was incapable of conducting a foreign policy independently of the USA. The failure to defeat Nasser meant that his prestige was greatly increased, causing a greater feeling of nationalism to spread to British colonies in North Africa and the Middle East. For example, shortly after the Suez Crisis the pro-British King Feisal of Iraq, was overthrown and replaced by a republic.

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However, the Suez Crisis can not be seen as the sole reason for the decolonisation of the Empire, because it was inevitable following World War Two because Britain’s economy could no longer sustain investment in countries such as India which were no longer making a profit for Britain, and only being kept due to the prestige attached. The British economy was ruined after the War as nearly the entire treasury was spent on the war and German bombing in 1940 destroyed large parts of the her industry. The poor state of the economy can be seen by the desperate ...

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