The Other Side of the Coin)- The 1956 Suez Crisis Chronology Suez War Crisis)

   19 JULY US Government announces it will not finance the Aswan High Dam in Egypt.

   26 JULY President Nasser nationalises Suez Canal Company.

   1 AUGUST Dulles arrives in London for talks with Britain and France.

   2 AUGUST Government announces recall of reservists; Labour says it will support force only if used in accordance with United Nations.

   3 AUGUST Britain, France and the United States announce international conference to be held in London.

   10 AUGUST Chiefs of Staff present plan Musketeer to the Egypt Committee of the Cabinet.

   16 AUGUST International conference opens in London.

   23 AUGUST International conference sends Menzies mission to Cairo.

   28 AUGUST Cabinet endorses referral of the Suez dispute to the United Nations.

   1 SEPTEMBER French intimate to the Israelis that they would like coordinated action against Egypt.

   3 SEPTEMBER Menzies and Nasser meet.

   4 SEPTEMBER Cabinet warned two Soviet submarines have left the Baltic manned by Russians and Egyptians; Dulles proposes idea of a Suez Canal Users' Association (SCUA) to British Ambassador in Washington.

   6 SEPTEMBER Eden reports Eisenhower disquiet to Cabinet; Eden unwell in the night.

   7 SEPTEMBER Chiefs of Staff change invasion plan to Musketeer Revise.

   9 SEPTEMBER Menzies mission fails 10 SEPTEMBER Egypt Committee accepts Musketeer Revise; Mollet (French PM) and Pineau (Foreign Minister) in London for talks

   11 SEPTEMBER Macmillan in Cabinet says only force will regain Canal; Cabinet endorses SCUA; Eisenhower rules out US involvement in use of force.

   12 SEPTEMBER Uproar in Commons as Gaitskell, Leader of the Opposition, demands pledge that force will not be used unless under terms of UN Charter; SCUA announced, Dulles undermines it at Washington press conference by saying 'we do not intend to shoot our way through'.

   l9 SEPTEMBER Second international conference opens in London

   21 SEPTEMBER London conference approves SCUA; Treasury warns Macmillan of sterling vulnerability even if Nasser falls

   23 SEPTEMBER Britain and France refer dispute to UN Security Council; Macmillan sees Eisenhower in Washington

   24 SEPTEMBER Egypt complains to Security Council about Anglo - French troop concentrations; Sir Walter Monckton steps down as Minister of Defence.

   26 SEPTEMBER Security Council meets; Eden and Lloyd to Paris for talks.

   30 SEPTEMBER Israeli delegation in Paris for talks with the French.

   1 OCTOBER First meeting of SCUA in London; Eden warns Egypt Committee of French impatience. 2 OCTOBER Dulles at press conference says SCUA has 'no teeth'.

   3 OCTOBER Dulles apologises to British Ambassador for SCUA remarks; Eden warns Cabinet Russia might conclude pact with Egypt.

   5 OCTOBER Lloyd and Pineau meet Eisenhower and Dulles; Security Council debate starts; Eden enters hospital.

   10 OCTOBER Six principles for international management of Suez Canal agreed in New York by Lloyd, Pineau and Fawzi (Egyptian foreign minister).

   13 OCTOBER Security Council and Egypt accept the six principles bul Egypt refuses to accept they accord with the 18 Nation Plan produced by London Conference. 14 OCTOBER Eden at Chequers to receive French emissaries, Gazier and Challe, who outline plan for Israel to invade Egypt with Britain and France separating the combatants.

   16 OCTOBER Eden and Lloyd in Paris for talks. 18 OCTOBER Eden reports Paris conversations in general terms to the Cabinet.

   21 OCTOBER Meeting of inner circle ministers and officials at Chequers.

   22 OCTOBER Representatives of France, Britain and Israel meet at Sevres in Paris suburbs.

   23 OCTOBER FONT size=2> Cabinet told of 'secret conversations' in Paris.

   24 OCTOBER Collusion agreed and Sevres Protocol signed by representatives of British, French and Israeli governments. 25 OCTOBER Eden tells Cabinet 'we must face the risk that we should be accused of collusion with Israel'.

   29 OCTOBER Israelis attack Egypt.

   30 OCTOBER British and French governments send ultimatums to Israel and Egypt instructing them to withdraw 10 miles either side of the Canal to allow Anglo - French occupation; uproar in the House of Commons; at the UN Britain and France veto US resolution calling for ceasefire and Soviet resolution calling for ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli forces; Anglo - French task force sets sail from Malta.

   31 OCTOBER Anglo - French air attacks on Egyptian airfields; Security Council calls emergency meeting of UN General Assembly.

   1 NOVEMBER Gaitskell denounces ~act of disastrous folly'. Commons suspended after uproar. Anglo - French planes destroy 260 Egyptian aircraft; Israelis rout Egyptians in Sinai, widespread Commonwealth condemnation; UN General

   2 NOVEMBER General Assembly calls for ceasefire; Mountbatten begs Eden to turn back assault force; Pineau in London for talks; Gallup poll taken on 1 - 2 November shows 40% agree with Eden's handling of the crisis, 46% disagree, 14% don't know.

   3 NOVEMBER Britain and France reply to General Assembly giving conditions for ceasefire; Israel accepts ceasefire provided Egypt does the same.

   4 NOVEMBER Egypt blocks Suez Canal; Russians enter Budapest; Lloyd warns Egypt Committee of US oil sanctions; Cabinet meets - 12 ministers for going on, 3 for postponement and 3 for stopping; Cabinet informed while meeting in progress that Israel had nor accepted ceasefire.

   5 NOVEMBER Resignations announced of Anthony Nutting (Minister of State, Foreign Office) and Edward Boyle (Economic Secretary to the Treasury); British and French paratroops land in Port Said and Port Fuad; Russia threatens rockets on Paris and London; Israel accepts ceasefire.

   6 NOVEMBER Anglo - French seaborne landings at Port Said; pound critical; Macmillan telephones Washington - only a ceasefire by midnight will secure US support for an International Monetary Fund loan; Macmillan reports to Cabinet, Eden's supporters for carrying on reduced to 3 ministers; Eden telephones Mollet'and Eisenhower and announces ceasefire in Commons at 6.00pm effective from midnight; Anglo - French advance stops at El Cap 23 miles down the Canal from Port Said.

   7 NOVEMBER UN General Assembly agrees UN police force for Egypt.

   8 NOVEMBER Vote of confidence in Commons, 8 Conservatives abstain.

   11 NOVEMBER Gallup poll taken on 10 - 11 November shows 53% approved of military action against Egypt, 32% disapproved.

   15 NOVEMBER First UN contingents arrive in Egypt; in London Egypt Committee told no US financial support will be forthcoming until Anglo - French withdrawal from Egypt starts.

   19 NOVEMBER Egypt Committee agrees to a UN detachment in Port Said; Eden's doctors say he needs a complete rest.

   23 NOVEMBER The Edens fly to Jamaica.

   30 NOVEMBER Cabinet accepts withdrawal from Egypt inevitable.

   20 DECEMBER Eden tells Commons 'there was no foreknowledge that Israel would attack Egypt'.

   22 DECEMBER Evacuation of British troops from Canal Zone completed.

   23 DECEMBER Destruction (dynamiting) of the De LeSepps statue by Yahia Al Shaer.

   9 JANUARY Eden resigns; succeeded by Macmillan.

د. يحي ألشاعر