Suez Canal 2 of 5

When construction began, Egypt was ruled by Britain and France and although there was political turmoil in the region, rebellion in Egypt against colonial rule which interrupted construction, the Suez Canal was opened on November 17, 1869.

The Suez Canal Company was given a 99 year lease over the waterway and surrounding area. The canal was intended to be open for use by ships from all over the world but this hasn't always been possible, due to international disagreements and war between nations and the Suez Canal has been a centre of conflict since its completion.    

The British defended the canal during WW1 against the Ottoman Empire in 1915 and in 1936 the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty reaffirmed Britain's control over the waterway. This was vital during WWll after Germany and Italy attempted to capture the canal. As a result the ships of both countries were barred from using the Suez Canal for most of the war years. 

In 1951 Egypt withdrew from the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty But it wasn't until 1956 that the British withdrew their troops from the Suez Canal and handed control over to the Egyptian  government under Nasser's rule. 

In that year, Nasser nationalised the canal's operations by transferring ownership to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) ad this angered Britain and America who withdrew promised financial funding intended for planned improvements to the canal and the construction of the Aswan Dam project. When Egypt turned to the Soviet Union for funds and decided to close the Straits of Tiran, (a body of water that linked Israel to the Red Sea) to all Israeli ships Britain and France and Israel sent troops to invade Egypt which resulted in the 'Suez Crises'.

In November of 1956, The United Nations sent a peacekeeping force to protect the canal and ensure access for all nations was maintained.

Then in 1967 at the beginning of the "Six-Day War", Nasser ordered the UN peacekeeping force out of the Sinai Peninsula. Israel responded by deploying their troops into the region and took control of the east bank of the Suez Canal. Nasser then imposed a blockade on all maritime traffic and essentially trapping 15 cargo ships that were traversing through the canal at the time. These ships remained entrapped and decaying  for nearly 8 years. 

In 1975 when a new president, Saddat governed Egypt, British and US minesweepers cleared the canal and once again ships were able to pass through the Suez . However, even though an Egypt-Israeli Peace Treaty had been drawn up in 1979, Israeli troops remained in the Sinai Peninsula until 1981. Since that year and up to today, a Multicultural Force and Observers have been stationed in the region to maintain order and protect the canal. We saw tanks and soldiers who are part of the peace maintenance teams protecting the Suez Canal so that nations can use this vital waterway in safety.