Turning Point The Suez Canal - 1679 Words

â€Å"My country, is no longer in Africa, it is now in Europe.† - Isma’il the Magnificient Turning Point: The Suez Canal (1869) Control and influence of strategic chokepoints in a modern context, such as the Suez and Panama canals, are an essential ingredient to any nation’s survival and dominance. The Suez Canal opened in 1869 and allowed for the speedy transit of more than 21,415 vessels in 2013. The canal handled eight percent of global trade and, in 2012, accounted for $5.12 billion in revenue for Egypt. A loss or domination of control by any country would mean the short voyage from the Red Sea to ports in the Mediterranean, a trip of 4,700 miles, would add more than 6,000 miles and eight extra days travel at†¦show more content†¦An earlier work by James Eayrs (1956) was a reaction to the nationalization of the canal under Egyptian President Gamal Abd al-Nasser. Other works such as Elizabeth Monroe’s, Britain’s Moment in the Middle East positions the canal as a connecting logistical point between British interests in the Middle East and India. Monroe’s central thes is maintains motivations for British interactions in Egypt is to support the large garrison of British Army forces remaining in India. A recent work, by Zachary Karabell, Parting the Desert: The Creation of the Suez Canal, seeks to follow the efforts of de Lesseps mitigating colonial powers interference while orchestrating the completion of the canal and ignoring the misery of the Egyptian populace in doing so. Following the mid-19th century trends of Mehmet Ali Pasha, the Westernization of Egyptian lands, including, medicine, science, a new legal system, and industrialization were continued aggressively by the Isma’il the Magnificient. Integration with international economic systems of the colonial powers meant Egypt becoming a â€Å"plantation economy, exporting raw materials, most notably cotton, and importing European manufactured goods.† Close political ties to French influences and favorable privilege from the Sultan (Abdul Aziz), elevated Isma’il Pasha to â€Å"Khedive† (Viceroy) and emboldened him to pattern his governorship to ignore earlier attempts to a blending of Egypt and Islam. HisShow MoreRelatedThe United States Has Engaged In Numerous International1349 Words   |  6 PagesThe United States has engaged in numerous international interventions in the Middle East. The two major events that have shaped the politics of U.S. foreign policy, Israe l, and the Arab states are the Suez Crisis of 1956 and the Six Day War of 1967. President Eisenhower and President Johnson each took different approaches while confronting these crises. 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It can be argued to be one of the first wars in the Arab-Israeli conflict which involved substantial foreign involvement. Although Britain and France were humiliated and lost their influence in the Middle East, it highlighted the rising importance of Cold War politics in the Middle East. Egypt and Israel can be considered as winners of the Suez War; Egypt gained complete control of the Suez Canal and IsraelRead MoreWorld War I And The War II1518 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Suez Canal and the Arabian oil fields. The Italian forces became a potential threat to Allied supply routes in the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. The North African Campaign, or Desert War, took place in the North African desert during World War II between 1940 and 1943. North Africa is a region generally considered to include Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, and the Western Sahara (Jorge 2). The North African Campaign was fought for two reasons: the Suez Canal, crucialRead MoreThe Six Day War : Causes And Effects1909 Words   |  8 Pagesbeen entirely due to religion, economic interests and foreign intervention played their fair share in the carnage. The Six day war’s origin can be traced back to the Suez Canal crisis. The crisis began on July 26th, 1956 during the Suez Canal crisis in which the Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser decided to nationalize the Suez Canal which had been under French and British control since its construction in 1869. Nationalization is the process of bringing an industry or infrastructure under theRead MoreThe Suez Canal Crisis2451 Words   |  10 PagesThough widely acknowledged as one of the smaller incidents of the Eisenhower Presidency, the Suez Canal Crisis did not only present one of the most concerning existential threats during the 1950s, it became a crucial turning point for U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. 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