Laval University From the SelectedWorks of Fathi Habashi February, 2016 World History Page FH.pdf Fathi Habashi Available at: https://works.bepress.com/fathi_habashi/168/
World History Page HOW USA DISPLACED THE BRITISH EMPIRE The British Empire The British Empire was the largest empire in the 19 th century at the time of Queen Victoria (1819-1901). It was the result of the Industrial Revolution that took place in England and was based on coal as a fuel. Figure - Queen Victoria (1819-1901) Figure - The British Empire before digging the Suez Canal
Suez Canal In 1854 Ferdinand de Lesseps (1805-1894) the French vice-consul in Alexandria succeeded in convincing the Egyptian viceroy Sa id Pasha in the project of digging a canal joining the Mediterranean with the Red Sea. In 1858 a company was formed and digging started a year later. In 1863, Ismail Pasha succeeded Sa id Pasha. He could not pay the expense for the continued excavation of the canal and got a loan from European banks against the Egyptian cotton. Demand for cotton was high because the Civil War in America (1861-1865) cut off the supply. Finally the canal was opened for navigation on November 17, 1869 but the Khedive needed to borrow money again because of his obligations towards the Ottoman Sultan and his extravagant way of life. In 1875 he was forced to sell all the shares of Egypt in the Suez Canal which England bought at once to become a partner owner of the Canal Company. It was at that time that the British Empire controlled also the Middle East. Ismail Pasha (1830-1895) US President Woodrow Wilson (1856 1924) World War I During World War I England was able to move armies rapidly through the canal from India, Australia, and New Zealand to Europe and win battles in Europe. At the end of the war Austrian, German, Russian, and Ottoman empires were dissolved. England was assigned by the League of Nations in Geneva the mandate for Palestine originally a part of the Ottoman Empire which should end on midnight on May 14, 1948. At the peace talks, US President Woodrow Wilson (1856 1924) showed the Europeans the elements of democracy and the right of countries to choose their rulers. Petroleum It was also during World War I that the importance of petroleum became apparent. It was needed for aeroplanes, motorcars, and to modernize fleets and railways to replace coal. Petroleum needs no stokers, leaves no ash, and possesses high energy content to weight as compared to coal. A ship carrying an equivalent amount of petroleum can go three times as far as one carrying coal. USA had petroleum but not the United Kingdom. World War II In February 20, 1945 US President Roosevelt met Saudi King Abdul Aziz aboard a US warship in Great Bitter Lake in Egypt, during a stop on his way home from the Yalta conference during World War II. The main focus of this meeting was the agreement that gave the US favoured oil rights in exchange for American protection of the Saudi Kingdom.
Meeting of President Roosevelt with Saudi King Abdul Aziz in 1945 aboard US warship in Great Bitter Lake in Egypt Palestine - Israel After World War II England was exhausted while USA did not suffer much damage. The British mandate over Palestine ended on midnight on May 14, 1948. In 1948 President Harry Truman supported the creation of Israel. President Harry Truman (1884-1972) Mohammad Mosaddegh (1882-1967) Petroleum of Iran Petroleum in Iran was discovered in 1908 by the British who built the Abadan oil refinery then the world's largest, On May 1, 1951 when Prime Minister of Iran Mohammad Mosaddegh (1882-1967) nationalized the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company [now British Petroleum] the Shah was pressured by the British and by US Central Intelligence Agency to dismiss him. On August 16, 1953 Mosaddegh was arrested and the CIA's choice General Fazlollah Zahedi was nominated as Prime Minister.
The Suez crises When Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal in July 1956 England and France attacked Egypt in October while Israel in cooperation with them occupied the Suez Canal. It was US President Dwight D. Eisenhower through the United Nations who ordered the Israeli to evacuate Sinai. President Nasser (1918-1970) with President Eisenhower (1890-1969) Displacement complete The US displacement of United Kingdom was complete after the Suez Crisis of 1956. Fathi Habashi Laval University, Quebec City Fathi.Habashi@arul.ulaval.ca February 2016