The Stress of Her Disregard: Britannia's Suez Fiasco in Consideration of Anglo-American Diplomacy

129 Pages·2017·3.95 MB·English

EEaasstteerrnn KKeennttuucckkyy UUnniivveerrssiittyy
EEnnccoommppaassss
Online Theses and Dissertations Student Scholarship
January 2016
TThhee SSttrreessss ooff HHeerr DDiissrreeggaarrdd:: BBrriittaannnniiaa’’ss SSuueezz FFiiaassccoo iinn
CCoonnssiiddeerraattiioonn ooff AAnngglloo--AAmmeerriiccaann DDiipplloommaaccyy
Matthew Gerth
Eastern Kentucky University
Follow this and additional works at: https://encompass.eku.edu/etd
Part of the Diplomatic History Commons
RReeccoommmmeennddeedd CCiittaattiioonn
Gerth, Matthew, "The Stress of Her Disregard: Britannia’s Suez Fiasco in Consideration of Anglo-American
Diplomacy" (2016). Online Theses and Dissertations. 367.
https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/367
This Open Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at Encompass. It
has been accepted for inclusion in Online Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Encompass.
For more information, please contact [email protected].

The Stress of Her Disregard: Britannia’s Suez Fiasco in Consideration of Anglo-
American Diplomacy

By
Matthew C. Gerth
Bachelor of Arts
Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, Kentucky
2013

Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of
Eastern Kentucky University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
MASTER OF ARTS
May, 2016
Copyright © Matthew Gerth, 2016
All rights reserved
ii
To Dr. Iva Marie Thompson
For inspiration comes from the most unlikely of places

iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks must go to many who aided in the completion of this thesis. Anything worthy of
praise within its pages is to their credit; likewise, all mistakes or missteps rest directly on
me.

First, I cannot overstate my appreciation to the committee chair, Dr. Ronald Huch. For
the past two years, he has been my professional and personal mentor. His allowance of
me to independently pursue my studies of interest has taught me a lot about freedom and
responsibility. Dr. Huch is the quintessential definition of a renaissance man.

Much appreciation also goes to another member of my thesis committee, Dr. Mina
Yazdani. Her sincere encouragement and faith in me over the years has meant a lot. She
is without a doubt one of the hardest working individuals I have had the privilege to
know.

The research for this thesis would not have been possible without the aid of two generous
resources. My unreserved thanks to Dr. Ogechi Anyanwu for his willingness to conduct
extensive research on my behalf in London; it was a kind and thoughtful gesture very few
would have undertaken. In addition, I would like to express my gratitude to the entire
staff of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Liberty in Abilene, Kansas. They truly
made my experience there very productive and fun. I have found few places that were as
welcoming; also, cheers for the pizza.

I would be sorely remiss if I did not also acknowledge my father and mother, Arthur and
Brenda Gerth. Two more loving and supportive parents are unfathomable to imagine. As
stated above, anything of value within me came from them; my faults are entirely of my
own creation.

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to recognize the final member of my thesis
committee, Dr. Thomas Appleton Jr. Both a great scholar and a true friend, “thanks”
alone cannot express my appreciation to this individual. Dr. Appleton is the epitome of a
great professor. When describing him, the term “a man for all seasons” does not even
come close, but it is a start.

iv
ABSTRACT

The Suez Crisis of 1956 was an unmitigated disaster for the United Kingdom.
For the vast majority of historians, it marks the effective downfall of the British Empire.
In reviewing the series of events preceding and throughout the crisis, it becomes evident
that the reason for the failure of the Suez expedition rests not on actions taken in Cairo or
Moscow, but in Washington. The efforts of Dwight Eisenhower and John Foster Dulles
to stymie Anthony Eden from achieving his goals during the affair are the key factors to
the ruination of British efforts towards removing Gamal Abdel Nasser from power and
reversing his nationalization of the Suez Canal. By examining the Suez Crisis, much
light is shed on the true nature of Anglo-American diplomacy during the early Cold War
period; tense questions arise about the reality of the “special relationship” between the
United States and Great Britain. However, one fact remains certain, in the desert sands of
the Sinai Peninsula during November 1956, Britannia lost her Empire and America
asserted its dominance.
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. A Heavy Price for a Ditch …..…….………………………….……………1
II. Greeks in an Age of Romans......…………………………………………14
III. The Lion and the Sphinx ...….…….……………………………………...32
IV. Into the Vortex…………….…….…………………….…………………..49
V. A Very British Gambit.…..…………………………………….…………85
VI. Fortinbras Rising ……………………………………………………....106
Bibliography ……………………………………………………………….…113

vi
LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE PAGE
1. Poster with artwork by famed American illustrator James
Montgomery Flagg. Created by American Lithographic Co.
N.Y. in 1918……………..……………………....….………………… 20
2. Political Cartoon by Michael Cummings printed in
The Daily Express on May 26, 1957…………..……………….……….92
vii