ABSTRACT

THE YEAR 1956 WAS a dramatic and crucial one in the history of the Middle East and left vivid scars on the history of France and Britain. The storm of the Suez episode overshadowed the earlier events leading to the crisis. However, one cannot comprehend these events without understanding the entire complexity of the region’s history and the part played by the superpowers in influencing affairs in the Middle East. The period prior to the Suez crisis was marked by increasing hostility between Israel and its neighbours, greater Soviet penetration and a decline in the British position in the region.