Did the Suez Crisis destroy Eden and the Conservative Party?

1. Did the Suez Crisis destroy Eden and the Conservative Party? L.O. To understand the reasons for and main details of the Suez crisis in 1956. To analyse the effect of Suez on the Conservatives and Eden. To evaluate the importance of the Suez crisis for the Conservative government and Eden’s premiership.

2. How have we done today? These were the Learning Objectives for the lesson. How many can you now do? • To understand the reasons for and main details of the Suez crisis in 1956. • To analyse the effect of Suez on the Conservatives and Eden. • To evaluate the importance of the Suez crisis for the Conservative government and Eden’s premiership.

3. Knowledge Check Use the words/phrases below to write a 50 word summary of Butler’s performance as Chancellor of the Exchequer. You must include ALL the phrases below (but each one can count as a single word). 1. Stop – Go policies 5. Tax cuts 2. Dollar gap 6. ‘pots and pans’ budget 3. Balance of payments 7. Cabinet reshuffle 4. Korean war 8. ROBOT

4. Sir Anthony Eden Eden was, “that rare beast: a genuinely glamorous and cultivated politician, who read Arabic and Persian literature in the original and presented an image of effortless suavity bolstered by an unrivalled knowledge of international affairs and diplomatic history.” D. Sandbrook, ‘Never Had it so Good’ (2005) Anthony Eden (1897-1977) was from an old gentry family, the son of a baronet. He was handsome and clever, attending Eton and Oxford (where he achieved a first in Persian). He had become Foreign Secretary under Chamberlain at the age of just 38, though he resigned three years later over appeasement. He was brought back by Churchill and had been Churchill’s acknowledged leader in waiting of the Conservatives since the early 1940’s. R.A Butler famously observed about Eden’s personality, “That’s Anthony – half mad baronet, half beautiful women”.

5. The General election, 1955 • Churchill was finally forced to resign in April 1955. After years of waiting and doubts by Churchill, Eden became Prime minister. His premiership started well with Eden deciding on an early election in the hope of increasing the slender Tory majority. On the 26 May, 3 days after Butler’s popular budget, the Conservatives increased their share of the vote to 49.7%, the highest share achieved by any party since the war and giving them a majority of 54 seats in the Commons. • In comparison, Labour’s share fell to 46.4, Attlee resigned as leader and the party fell on itself as it split into factions around the figures of Gaitskell and Bevan. • In theory, the election opened up a bright new future for Eden and the Conservatives – did Suez, brimming on the horizon, ruin it?

6. Eden as Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in his memoirs wrote that, “Eden had been bred to win the Derby in 1938, but hadn’t been let out of his stall until 1955”. 1. What do you think Macmillan meant by this remark? 2. Extra Challenge: Might this cause problems for Eden as Prime Minister? • Read the information sheet on Eden, there is evidence that he was having troubles before the Suez crisis of October 1956, can you categorise these into personal and political? • Were most of the problems facing Eden personal or political? • Extra Challenge: Which do you think were the most important problems?

7. The Suez Crisis In July 1956 Colonel Abdel Nasser, the leader of Egypt, announced that the Suez Canal would be nationalised. Study the information on the sheet and answer the following questions. • Why did Eden become involved and want to take back the canal? • What was the British plan for taking back the canal? Extra Challenge: Why might the nature of this plan be politically dangerous for Eden if it was discovered? • Who were the main opponents of British involvement in Suez? • Did all members of the Conservative Party support Eden’s decision? • Why did Britain have to withdraw from Egypt in November 1956? • Were the main reasons for Britain’s withdrawal from Suez because of opposition within Britain or from outside Britain? Extra Challenge: Would the nature of the opposition to Suez mean that it was more or less politically damaging to Eden and the Conservatives?

8. The Impact of the Suez crisis • Read the information about the effect or impact of Suez on the Conservative government. • Highlight any evidence that it damaged the reputation or support for Conservative Party. • Highlight any evidence that it damaged the reputation or support for Eden as Prime minister. • Which statement do you agree with more: “The Suez crisis badly affected the Conservative government” “The Suez crisis finished Eden as Prime Minister” Explain your answer and support it with at least one piece of evidence from the information you have read. Extra Challenge: Is there a third statement that would better summarise the effect of Suez?