Suez Crisis and the Anglo‑French Intervention: Lead‑up, Invasion, and Aftermath (1954–1957)
Egypt and the United Kingdom signed the Anglo‑Egyptian evacuation agreement, setting terms for the phased withdrawal of British forces from the Suez Canal Zone and redefining Britain’s future rights regarding the base in wartime.
The two governments exchanged instruments of ratification, bringing the 1954 evacuation agreement fully into force and operationalizing the withdrawal framework.
In Alexandria, President Gamal Abdel Nasser announced (and signed into law) a decree nationalizing the Suez Canal Company—shifting control from a company dominated by British and French interests to Egypt and triggering an international crisis.
UN Security Council Resolution 118 set out widely cited requirements for any Suez settlement, including free and open transit, respect for Egyptian sovereignty, and insulating canal operation from national politics.
Representatives of Israel, France, and the United Kingdom reached a secret understanding at Sèvres (22–24 October) coordinating an Israeli attack in Sinai followed by Anglo‑French intervention around the canal zone.
Israel launched Operation Kadesh, invading the Sinai Peninsula (including a paratroop drop near the Mitla Pass), initiating the military phase of the crisis that set the stage for Anglo‑French intervention.
In an emergency special session, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 997 (ES‑I) calling for an immediate cease‑fire in the Suez Crisis and related measures.
The UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 998 (ES‑I), requesting that the Secretary‑General submit a plan for a UN force to secure and supervise a cease‑fire.
The UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 1000 (ES‑I), creating a UN command for an international emergency force and naming a commander—an institutional step toward deploying peacekeepers to stabilize the situation.
British and French paratroopers landed around Port Said/Port Fuad (5–6 November) as the opening of the Anglo‑French assault to seize key positions and move toward control of the canal zone.
The United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) was approved (under the emergency special session framework) as the first large-scale UN peacekeeping force, intended to help secure an end to fighting and supervise withdrawals.
Under strong international pressure (including UN action and U.S. opposition), British and French troops withdrew from Egypt, ending the Anglo‑French occupation of Port Said and the canal zone.
Israel withdrew its forces from Sinai in March 1957, following UN and U.S. pressure and alongside the deployment of UNEF on the Egypt–Israel frontier areas.
After extensive salvage and clearance of scuttled ships and wreckage, Egypt began reopening the canal to international traffic in early March 1957.
The Suez Canal Authority records the resumption of navigation after the crisis-era obstruction and clearance efforts, marking the canal’s return to regular operation under Egyptian control.
