ABSTRACT
The British Commonwealth and Empire, declared the 1955 Conservative manifesto was 'the greatest force for peace and progress in the world today'. The only possible exception was South Africa where the historically anti-British Nationalist party came to power in 1948. The remaining old members still liked to belong to the British Commonwealth. Britain's apparent success was contrasted with the post-war armed struggles in Indo-China and the East Indies which the French and Dutch appeared likely to lose. Nehru tried to disengage India from the Cold War and embark on a policy of 'non-alignment'. After the war, Egyptian nationalism became more assertive. Negotiations for the withdrawal of British troops from the Canal Zone became deadlocked because the Egyptians would not, in return, co-ordinate their future defence policy with Britain. On 26 July 1956, President Nasser of Egypt announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal Company which was French-owned and operated the canal.
