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The Suez Crisis (beta)
Created by James Baker (Profession:Digital Curator) on August 7, 2010, 1:17 pm. Report this group | FAQ
Categorized under: Teaching Resources - HE/FE
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All records
An overview of all records in the group with annotations (where entered).
Showing records 1 to 11 of 11.
The Background
British cartoonists, drawn not only to it's strategic military importance but also to the symbol capital a canal as a site of passage and divide, had a long-standing obsession with the Suez Canal.
"The Canal must be run efficiently and kept open, as it has always been in the past, as a free and i...
Vicky [Victor Weisz]
Daily Mirror
The Conflict
Although justification for conflict were reiterated by the British Government, cartoonists quickly turned their attentions to questions of the damage done to international stability and Britain's position on the world stage.
Published caption: "Who's been playing blocking canals and sinking ships in my bath?"
Giles; Ronald Carl (1916-1995)
Sunday Express
The Aftermath
Although Carl Giles made a typically jovial and comic play upon the national mood following the ceasation of hostilities 6 November 1956, most cartoonists (reflecting the sentiments of their newspaper editorials) savagely condemned the week long military conflict and in particular the financial difficulties it had placed Britain into.
"... and how long will it take you to clear away this wreckage, Sir Anthony?"
Vicky [Victor Weisz]
Daily Mirror
The Legacy
Cartoonists continued to reference the crisis long after the it's denouement. Nonetheless the symbol of the canal retained it's stark, compositional simplicity, reminding readers of the fragility of international pacts and the ease with which division could be established.
"... And so, at the first sign of Imperialist intervention - fill it in!"
