Lester B. Pearson and the Suez Canal Crisis

The Suez crisis was a conflict that could have got easily turned into a triplet World War. With a battle betwixt the Israelis and Egyptians at Sinai, the British and cut usurpation of Egypt, and nuclear threats from the Soviet wedding, all of the elements were launch to escalate the conflict and pull other(a) countries into the fray. Canada had no direct ties to the Suez crisis, in wrong of control or stinting interest. How eer, Canadian Secretary of landed estate for Foreign Affairs, Lester B. Pearson, persuaded the UN cosmopolitan Assembly to send in the join Nations Emergency Force. evening thoughLester B. Pearson dismayed the res publica with his measures for placidity, Canada was recognized for starting the offshoot eer united Nations reposekeeping mission. In the mid-fifties the heart East was affected by four different conflicts each unity separate, nevertheless relating in many ways. The first was the rush for geopolitical dominance betwixt the United States and the Soviet Union during the tatty War. The Middle East was one of the regions that were disputed. The bit confrontation was between a motley Arabian nationalists against the two residual lofty powers of Britain and France.The third was the ongoing Arab-Israeli dispute, and the fourth was the fall out by many Arab nations for the control of the Arab world. The tenseness over the Suez canalise began long forrader the actual combat. These four conflicts all came into digest during the Suez canalise crisis. Long before the bite World War, Britain power truism a impertinent economic future for the Middle East, in the main due to its valuable oil reserves. The Canal was a vital trade pathway in the eastern world, as weight ships could pass though the Suez, from the Mediterranean to the ruby-red Sea, without circumnavigating Africa.The Suez Canals eo-strategic importance during the Cold War prompted Britain to fortify its position there. However, it became a topic of affray in the English and Egyptian relations. 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 concern Anthony Eden, the delegate Minister of England, as Egypt was always fragmentize of Britains world of influence in the Middle East. As the British Broadcasting connection quoted, Even though Egypt became independent in 1922, Egyptian kings and presidents have always make whatBritish leaders have told them to do. However, Eden was unconscious(predicate) of the musical theme change in Egyptian government, which wanted nothing to do with the onerousness of the British. In the 1950s, France was quick to assist its purple ally Britain in the occupation of the canal. France was to append Israel with fghter Jets and weapons in a secret intend to interest and overthrow the dangerous radical government. To Egyptian President Nasser, it looks like a very powerful enemy is at the ga te of his country. In light of this, Nasser looks overseas for arms. Just 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 spurned this request, he could turn to their enemy and supplicate the Soviet Union for weapons. Once the Soviet Union did agree to help, Eisenhower and Anthony Eden saw Nasser as communist for cutting much(prenominal) 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 demean 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 thus(prenominal) issues a statement claiming that he did this to generate revenue for the construction of the Aswan dam. bogus intelligence relayed from M16 to Anthony Eden tells him what he wants to hear, dictum that Nasser is a pawn of the Soviet Union and the Egyptian people would wel postdate his overthrow. prudence between US, Soviet Union, Britain, France, Israel and Egypt failed, and in the release of 1956, Britain, France and Israel secretly plan to attack Egypt. Israel, as planned, do the first assault through and through the Sinai region to the east of Egypt, onOctober 29, advancing in a single day to indoors 42 km of the canal. The Israeli advance towards the canal is a fake to fate the world that Egypt in danger of existence overthrown by the Israelis. The British and French then dissimulate as peacekeepers, trying to dole out then tension between Egypt and Israel. They allow for Nasser an ultimatum Israel and Egypt are to cease fighting or the two Western powers will interfere. On the 31st of October this ultimatum expires and France and Britain attack, bombing Alexandria and move 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 terms 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 Foreign Affairs agency of Canada proceedinged towards building an agreement for the plan 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 general assembly. This is critical s for Pearson as Canada can now require involved in the debate. Pearsons team began to work on November 1st and labored urg ently for four straight days. The first proposal made by Pearson was to change the French and British 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 John Foster Dulles, and they discussed many ideas but it was Pearsons idea of the International police force result that they would finally agree upon. Dulles tells Pearson to paint a picture it to the I-IN, and on November 4th, 1956 Pearson d the first ever nited U Nations Peacekeeping torce. The UN General advise Assembly gave support 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 save to end the fghting, but to make peaceMy own government would be joyous to recommend Canadian participation in such a United Nations Force, a truly international peace and police force. After two weeks The UNE F units come into effect in the Suez region. The Peacekeepers would be position between enemy forces until a cease-fire or settlement was worked out. The members of the UNEF were drawn from diaphragm powers that had no individual interest in the dispute. The force was composed 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/ take up?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