Britain and the Suez Canal: 75 Years of Colonialism & Crisis (opens in new tab)

The Suez Canal in Egypt, which links the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, was taken over by the British in 1882 and was only reluctantly released 75 years later. The seizure in the 19th century caused an international furore every bit as damaging to Britain's reputation as the more famous Suez Crisis of the mid-20th century. Successive British governments regarded the canal as a vital strategic link between the home country and the British Empire, particularly India. Held on through two world wa...