Capítulo 240: Chapter 318 Suez Canal
In London, the Palace of Westminster, also known as the Parliament Building, houses the UK Parliament, including the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Palace of Westminster is one of the representative works of Gothic Revival architecture and was designated a World Heritage Site in 1987. The building comprises around 1,100 separate rooms, 100 staircases, and 4.8 kilometers of corridors. Although the palace has undergone significant renovations in the 19th century, it still retains many historical artifacts from its initial construction, such as Westminster Hall, which dates back to 1097.
Upon entering Westminster Hall and crossing the solemn and majestic St. Stephen's Corridor, you reach a circular central hall. To the right, beneath the dome of the central hall, is the House of Lords, also known as the House of Nobles. The opulent hall inside is spacious and bright, adorned with royal artifacts showcasing the glorious history of the British Empire over nearly a millennium.
Order prevails in the House of Lords, with both the meeting chair and attending members conducting themselves with elegance, politeness, and carefully chosen language. They meticulously and confidently uphold the dignity of the British nobility, spanning hundreds of years.
However, if you turn left from the central hall, you enter a completely different world — a place adorned with simplicity. Apart from two rows of relatively arranged green seats and an aged gray-black long table in the center, there is nothing else. If a meeting is in progress, you would undoubtedly hear bursts of laughter, curses, heckling, and debates, often interspersed with many uncivilized expressions, making it reminiscent of a marketplace.
This is the House of Commons, the lower house of the UK Parliament. For nearly 400 years, this modest room has been the center of British politics. Many decisions that changed world history were made here for a long time.
At this moment, British Prime Minister Churchill stands on the podium of the House of Commons, passionately condemning Vichy France. "It is the betrayal of the French Navy that directly led to the loss of Gibraltar and Malta. I had anticipated that the French Navy might become an accomplice to Germany, but I did not expect them to act so swiftly!"
Immediate rebuttals echo from below. "Nonsense! If it weren't for your ridiculous surprise attack plan, would the French Navy have switched sides so quickly? You bastards are practically aiding and abetting the enemy! I suspect you deliberately sent the fleet to be sunk by the Germans!"
This speaker is by no means a justice-seeking advocate passionately defending Vichy France; he is simply part of the dog-eat-dog political fray, each pursuing their own political interests. However, his words resonate with the surrounding legislators. Most are deeply dissatisfied with this covert operation, considering it a misguided decision by Churchill that has only worsened the situation for the Royal Navy and the entire British Empire. After all, Gibraltar is more than just a colonial possession; it represents the gateway to and from the Mediterranean for the British Empire.
Now that this gateway is in German hands, unless Gibraltar and Malta are recaptured, Britain will be unable to set foot in the Mediterranean. The supplies from the Middle East colonies will have to take a detour through the southern part of Africa.
However, with France's fall and Italy declaring war on Britain, German fighter planes can now strike British ships in the Mediterranean at any time. Therefore, after losing the advantage on the European continent, Britain is actually incapable of maintaining the Mediterranean route.
Churchill explained at length, repeatedly assuring that such secret operations would never happen again, before this matter somewhat calmed down.
"The German army is mobilizing troops to Libya, and the obvious target is our African colonies."
The British Empire, known as the "Empire on which the sun never sets," is not just a boast. It has colonies worldwide, with 21 colonies in Africa alone. These include South Africa, Nigeria, Cameroon, Lesotho, Botswana, Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Zambia, Uganda, Tonga Seychelles, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, and Gambia.
Of course, these are small countries that are more or less dispensable; what Churchill is truly concerned about is Egypt, adjacent to Libya.
If the German army launches an attack on Egypt, the Suez Canal is in imminent danger.
The Suez Canal is known as a "modern miracle." It connects the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, allowing ocean-going ships to avoid circumnavigating the southern tip of Africa, greatly facilitating communication and colonial expansion between Europe, Asia, and Africa. After the Suez Canal opened for navigation in 1869, the then-dominant British Empire recognized its strategic importance and purchased 44% of the shares from the Egyptians. Since then, the Suez Canal became a money-making machine for Britain. In the 1950s, the Suez Canal brought an additional $25 million annually to the British Empire.
But how could such a lucrative money-making machine be lost just like that?
Speaking of it, it's really an absurd story.
In 1953, Egypt overthrew the five-thousand-year-old monarchy and established a constitutional monarchy. Before that, Egypt was ruled by a British-supported puppet government, so in 1936, to better control the Suez Canal, Britain forcibly stationed ten thousand soldiers at the Suez Canal. After Egypt gained independence, it naturally couldn't tolerate ten thousand British soldiers within its borders, and under pressure, Britain decided to withdraw its troops from Egypt.
As the Suez Canal issue continued to escalate, the British leadership remained very calm. The Prime Minister at the time was Winston Churchill (after the Conservative Party regained power in the 1951 general election, Churchill once again became Prime Minister). In Churchill's eyes, the Suez Canal issue was evidently not a big deal, and he chose to watch the situation unfold.
Many thought that Churchill had lost the decisive courage he had in the past. However, it was later revealed that even Churchill's indifference was much wiser than his successor Anthony Eden.
Under the shadow of the Cold War, those who were not friends were enemies. In 1956, because the Egyptian government engaged in trade with the Soviet bloc, the United States immediately revoked economic aid for the Aswan High Dam project in Egypt. The Egyptian government then boldly announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal, intending to use its economic benefits to fund the Aswan High Dam. This angered Anthony Eden, who had just become the Prime Minister for a year. He promptly imposed an embargo, blocking the Suez Canal. The Egyptian government did not compromise, ordering the sinking of British ships. In that same year, the British army should have withdrawn from Egypt according to the original agreement. As tensions escalated, Eden officially reneged on the withdrawal agreement.
Losing his temper, Eden sought France's help, intending to use force to regain control of the Suez Canal. Britain and France exploited the contradictions between Israel and the Arab countries, urging Israel to attack Egypt, and then instructing Israel to seek assistance from Britain and France. In October 1956, the Anglo-French forces took advantage of the situation and invaded Egypt, quickly occupying the Suez Canal.
Any conflict or contradiction during the Cold War would eventually escalate to the confrontation between the two major blocs, especially when it involved an aggressive war.
Sure enough, the Soviet Union announced that it would intervene in the war in November. At this point, Eden remembered that the entire military operation had not been communicated to the United States in advance. At that time, the United States was busy condemning the Soviet Union's brutal suppression of the Hungarian Uprising, making it awkward for the United States to oppose the Soviet invasion of Hungary while supporting the Anglo-French invasion of Egypt. Such a situation would damage the U.S. image.
In December, the United States forcibly brokered a ceasefire between the Anglo-French forces and Egypt. In the end, the Egyptian government joyfully brought back all British assets in Egypt, including the Suez Canal. Eden, who lost public support, was forced to resign. This talented Prime Minister was permanently nailed to the pillar of historical shame, evaluated by historians as the most incompetent British Prime Minister of the 20th century.
The current Churchill is well aware of the importance of the Suez Canal and is determined to hold on to it at all costs.
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