Sixty years ago this July the Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal. Nasser needed revenue to fund construction of the Aswan dam and an ambitious programme of weapons purchase and reconstruction. The British prime minister interpreted the Egyptian takeover as a personal affront, Anthony Eden’s behaviour throughout the crisis belying his reputation …
Monthly Archive: January 2026
Adrian Smith, Emeritus Professor of Modern History, University of Southampton
