A British Conspiracy on the Suez Canal
The Suez crisis in the 1950s signalled the end of Britain's history as a power that could act alone on the world stage.
This documentary tells the story of Suez using dramatic reconstructions and interviews with participants and witnesses to the crisis.
Part 2: CONSPIRACY
When Nasser seized control of the Suez Canal, Anthony Eden was appalled.
He regarded Nasser as a dictator whose claim to represent all Arabs was a direct threat to British interests in the Middle East.
He was determined to make Nasser reverse his decision by force if necessary.
Programme two explains how Britain plotted with France and Israel to gain back control of the canal.
The plan was for Israel to invade Egypt, its neighbour, allowing Britain and France to issue an ultimatum to each side to stop fighting or they would intervene to "save" the canal.
The programme hears from members of the secret conference that hatched the plan including Douglas Hurd - then private secretary to the British ambassador to the UN - who describes the nightmare of having to sell Eden's cover story for the plot.
And it reveals how an MP discovered what Eden was really up to and attempted to expose him in the House of Commons.
This documentary tells the story of Suez using dramatic reconstructions and interviews with participants and witnesses to the crisis.
Part 2: CONSPIRACY
When Nasser seized control of the Suez Canal, Anthony Eden was appalled.
He regarded Nasser as a dictator whose claim to represent all Arabs was a direct threat to British interests in the Middle East.
He was determined to make Nasser reverse his decision by force if necessary.
Programme two explains how Britain plotted with France and Israel to gain back control of the canal.
The plan was for Israel to invade Egypt, its neighbour, allowing Britain and France to issue an ultimatum to each side to stop fighting or they would intervene to "save" the canal.
The programme hears from members of the secret conference that hatched the plan including Douglas Hurd - then private secretary to the British ambassador to the UN - who describes the nightmare of having to sell Eden's cover story for the plot.
And it reveals how an MP discovered what Eden was really up to and attempted to expose him in the House of Commons.