Empire Podcast: “Suez Crisis – The British Imperialist vs The Arab Nationalist (Part 1)”
Hosts: Anita Anand & William Dalrymple
Guest: Alex von Tunzelmann
Date: August 25, 2025
Episode: #284
Overview
This episode marks the beginning of a Suez Crisis mini-series, focusing on the pivotal moment in world history when British imperial power was eclipsed and the modern Middle East was shaped. Hosts Anita Anand and William Dalrymple, joined by historian Alex von Tunzelmann, take listeners from the origin of the Suez Canal’s construction to the geopolitical drama of the 1950s. They explore the personal and political forces that drove empires, leading up to the nationalization of the Suez Canal Company by Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser, and set the stage for one of the 20th century's great crises.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Suez Canal’s Origins: Ambitions, Construction, and Power Shifts
[05:00–15:30]
- Ferdinand de Lesseps:
- A French diplomat, not an engineer, who successfully initiated the Suez Canal project via the Compagnie Universelle du Canal Maritime de Suez.
- Raised funding primarily through French and European investors, with significant borrowing by Egypt (Ismail Pasha), putting Egypt into heavy debt.
- Insight: The construction’s financial underpinning set future political entanglements in motion.
- Geopolitical Importance:
- The Suez Canal shortened travel between Europe and Asia, rerouting British trade from the long sea voyage around Africa to the Mediterranean and Egypt.
- Initially, the British opposed the canal due to French leadership and conflicts of interest with existing trade investments.
- Labour & Conditions:
- Built by Egyptian peasants (fellaheen) in grim, disease-ridden conditions, paralleling the hardship seen later in Panama.
"The workers, and they're all Egyptian, are peasants known as the fellaheen, who are doing the work here. And they've got terrible conditions...just like with the Panama Canal."
— William Dalrymple [11:00]
- Opening Ceremony (1869):
- Egypt’s Ismail Pasha throws an extravagant ceremony to showcase modernization, attended by European royalty (except the British, who sent only an ambassador, not a royal).
- The canal was lauded as a beacon for progress and cross-cultural unity.
"When the smoke clears, you have got the greatest Kumbaya moment the world has ever known. Everybody's going to embrace, all be peaceful. The Suez Canal has fixed everything."
— Anita Anand [15:10]
2. British Acquisition and the Dual Structure of Ownership
[15:30–20:49]
- Financial Crisis & British Stake:
- Egyptian debt forced the sale of a large stake in the Suez Canal Company (not the canal itself) to the British, orchestrated by Prime Minister Disraeli with a secretive loan from Rothschild.
- Key Distinction:
- Egypt always owned the physical canal, but the Suez Canal Company ran its operations (and thus profits). This operating company was the crux of future conflicts.
"It's really crucial to say...There are two entities...the Suez Canal, the physical structure...is 100% owned by Egypt...But the Suez Canal Company...is actually the really contentious thing."
— Alex von Tunzelmann [16:00]
- Strategic Importance in the 20th Century:
- Shifted from a route to India (no longer British) to a vital artery for oil from Iran, which was still under British economic control.
"It's really oil at this point is what it's about...That's the oil that is now needed to keep the lights on and the cars running in Britain by 1956."
— Alex von Tunzelmann [20:01]
3. Gamal Abdel Nasser & The Rise of Arab Nationalism
[23:16–32:48]
- Nasser’s Background:
- Came from a middle-class Egyptian family, rose through the military, gained national prominence during the 1948 Arab–Israeli conflict and amid the tragedy of Palestinian displacement (Nakba).
- Orchestrated a military coup in 1952, ending Egypt's monarchy and indirect British control ("Veiled Protectorate").
- Nasser's Appeal:
- Young, charismatic, an excellent orator—projected Arab self-respect and pan-Arab dignity.
- Used the "Voice of the Arabs" radio to become a pan-Arab leader, admired by youth and anti-colonial movements across the Arab World and North Africa.
- Relationship with the French and Algerian Independence:
- Supported Algerian independence leaders (like Ahmed Ben Bella), angering France and intensifying colonial tensions.
"You’ve got the whole really of the Middle East and North Africa, the whole Arab world, and actually also quite a lot of people beyond...listening to Nasser. He’s very clever with media. He runs Voice of the Arabs radio..."
— Alex von Tunzelmann [28:46]
- Dramatic Anecdote:
- Ahmed Ben Bella escaped from a French prison using a bread loaf containing a file—a “Bugs Bunny” moment—then fled to Cairo, reinforcing Nasser’s role as a hero of anti-imperialism.
4. The Path to Crisis: Nationalization and Anglo-French Anxieties
[32:48–41:22]
- Nationalization (July 26, 1956):
- Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal Company (not the canal), triggering outrage in Britain and France, who saw this as a direct threat to their economic and imperial interests.
- Alex argues it was a "convenient hook" for escalation, as Eden (Britain) and Guy Mollet (France) had already fixated on Nasser as a principal enemy.
"By about March 1956, both Anthony Eden, Prime Minister of the UK, and Guy Mollet, the Prime Minister of France, had decided that Nasser was their number one enemy."
— Alex von Tunzelmann [32:48]
- Eden’s Deep Resentment of Nasser:
- Despite being an Arabist and onetime admirer, Eden became obsessed with destroying Nasser, both for rebuffing the British-led Baghdad Pact and undermining British allies in the region.
- Underlying personal issues: Eden's poor health, strained relationship with Churchill, and insecurities compounded his vengefulness after a disastrous personal encounter with Nasser.
“This is a very personal break between Eden and Nasser and particularly on Eden's side.”
— Alex von Tunzelmann [36:49]
- Infamous Dinner Party (Feb 1955):
- Eden's condescending Arabic and romanticized lecture was met with bafflement and irritation by Nasser, further poisoning Anglo-Egyptian relations.
“Nasser said he felt that Eden was talking to him like a junior official who couldn't be expected to understand international politics. And...this meeting was a complete disaster.”
— Alex von Tunzelmann [40:09]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
"Suez is the moment that British imperial power is seen to be eclipsed. Never again after this is Britain described as a superpower."
— William Dalrymple [02:40] -
"If the French do it, it can't be a good thing."
— William Dalrymple [09:18] -
"The canal is always Egyptian… just not actually in dispute. So what happens when the Khediv has this financial crisis? Disraeli gets a very quick loan...to buy him out… the British managed to buy this huge stake in the Canal Company."
— Alex von Tunzelmann [16:34] -
"It's an enormous oil war. And that's absolutely crucial… that's the oil that is now needed to keep the lights on and the cars running in Britain by 1956."
— Alex von Tunzelmann [20:04] -
"He was young for a political military leader. He was very good looking, very charismatic, an excellent speaker... a figure of surprising charisma and gravitas..."
— Alex von Tunzelmann on Nasser [27:02]
Important Timestamps
- Canal Origins & Lesseps’ Story — [05:00–10:49]
- Suez Canal Opening Ceremony — [12:10–15:31]
- British Buy-in, Financial Structure — [15:46–18:28]
- Oil and UK Interests (1950s) — [19:27–20:49]
- Nasser’s Rise & Influence — [23:16–32:48]
- Nationalization & Eden’s Obsession — [32:48–41:22]
- Infamous Eden-Nasser Dinner — [39:44–41:22]
Tone and Style
The hosts combine serious archival history and geopolitics with conversational banter, often pausing to highlight the outsized personalities and quirks that fueled world-changing events. Alex von Tunzelmann is especially incisive in dissecting the psychological dimensions behind leaders’ decisions.
Summary
This episode sets the stage for the Suez Crisis by tracing the history of the canal’s creation, chronicling its transformation from a French-Egyptian engineering feat to the centerpiece of Britain’s declining imperial power and the new battleground of mid-century oil politics. The transition into the age of postcolonial nationalism—embodied by Nasser—clashes dramatically with lingering imperial hubris and personal resentment at the summit of British power, ultimately igniting a crisis that will reshape the balance of power in the Middle East and the world at large.