Summary
Overview
This episode chronicles how British Prime Minister Anthony Eden's desperate need to prove himself led to the 1956 Suez Crisis. After waiting 15 years to succeed Winston Churchill, Eden finally becomes PM only to face Egyptian President Nasser's nationalization of the Suez Canal. Viewing Nasser as a new Hitler and desperate to restore Britain's fading empire, Eden begins plotting military action despite warnings from Churchill and his own cabinet, setting the stage for a catastrophic foreign policy disaster.
Egypt Seizes the Suez Canal
Colonel Mahmoud Younis and his men wait in a darkened boathouse in Port Said, listening to President Nasser's radio speech for a code word. When Nasser says 'Ferdinand de Lesseps,' it triggers the takeover of the Suez Canal offices. Egyptian troops storm the colonial buildings, expel British and French staff, and declare the canal now belongs to Egypt, ending decades of foreign control over this vital waterway.
- Colonel Younis waits with armed men in a boathouse for a code word from Nasser's speech to begin the canal takeover
- Upon hearing the signal, Egyptian troops storm the Suez Canal Company offices and expel foreign staff
- The Suez Canal, connecting the Mediterranean and Red Sea, is declared property of the Egyptian state
" The British bet against the wrong men. The Suez Canal is now property of the Egyptian state. And they don't intend to ever give it up again. "
Anthony Eden's Long Wait for Power
After serving 15 years as Winston Churchill's deputy, Anthony Eden finally confronts his aging boss about succession. Despite Churchill's declining health and recent stroke, he refuses to step down. Eden publicly challenges Churchill in cabinet, forcing a showdown. Though Churchill initially resists, Eden threatens to force the issue, ultimately compelling the 80-year-old leader to finally relinquish power.
- Eden has been Churchill's loyal deputy for 15 years and is now pushing 60, desperate for his turn as Prime Minister
- Churchill, at 80 years old, can barely keep his eyes open for half an hour and had a major stroke the previous year
- Eden publicly raises the succession issue in cabinet, humiliating himself when Churchill shuts him down
- Eden threatens to force Churchill out, declaring 'I can. And I will.'
" You aren't still fretting over Uncle Puggy, are you? "
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