Suez Crisis Collusion

The Suez Crisis Collusion refers to a secret tripartite agreement signed on October 22-24, 1956, at Sèvres, France, between representatives of Britain, France, and Israel. The protocol established a coordinated plan for Israel to invade Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, providing justification for Britain and France to intervene militarily and seize control of the recently nationalized Suez Canal.

The conspiracy emerged after Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal Company in July 1956, threatening British and French economic and strategic interests in the region. British Prime Minister Anthony Eden and French Premier Guy Mollet secretly coordinated with Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion to devise a plan for regaining control of the crucial waterway.

Under the Sèvres Protocol, Israel would attack Egyptian forces in Sinai on October 29, 1956. Britain and France would then issue an ultimatum demanding both sides withdraw from the canal zone, knowing Egypt would refuse. This would provide the pretext for Anglo-French forces to occupy the canal zone under the guise of separating the combatants and protecting international shipping.

The plan proceeded as designed, with Israeli forces launching Operation Kadesh on October 29. Britain and France issued their predetermined ultimatum on October 30 and began bombing Egyptian airfields on October 31, followed by paratroop landings on November 5. However, the operation quickly unraveled due to American opposition and Soviet threats.

President Dwight Eisenhower strongly condemned the invasion and threatened economic sanctions against Britain, while the Soviet Union warned of potential military intervention. Facing a collapsing pound and international isolation, Britain agreed to a ceasefire on November 6, effectively ending the operation and Eden's political career.

For years after the crisis, British and French officials publicly denied any prior coordination with Israel, claiming their intervention was a spontaneous response to Middle Eastern conflict. The existence of the Sèvres Protocol was finally confirmed in the 1980s through declassified documents and admissions by surviving participants.

The affair demonstrated how democratic governments could engage in elaborate deceptions while conducting foreign policy, and established precedents for covert coordination between allies in military operations disguised as humanitarian interventions.