Suez Canal Zone Treaty Similar to Panama

Simply as a wild idea what if on Egyptian independence in 1922 the British negotiated a deal so that they received a canal zone similar to the one the US had in Panama on a 99 year lease rather than the 20 year deal they made in 1936? The zone is five miles either side of the canal with its own police, courts and judges, and Egytians are allowed to cross over from one side to the via the bridges freely except in military emergencies. Would this have any effect on a future Suez Crisis? If the British keep a permanent military presence in the zone as they did in our timeline and decide not to compromise like they did in 1954 will we see an earlier crisis? If it doesn't clash with the Hungarian revolution and the British have a similar treaty to their own in Panama might the Eisenhower and the US be more neutral than strongly against it?
 
Sorry I wasn't really very clear in my original post. The US gained ownership of the canal zone in Panama in perpetuity thanks to the terms of the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty but Carter decided to give it back to the Panamanians anyway, which is one of the reasons why he gets a bad rap from some right-wingers. My PoD was that the British go for a similar idea with the Suez canal but that they only lease it for 99 years like they did with the New Territories in Hong Kong.
 

fero

Banned
USA 1900>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Panama 1900 = Panama is fucked and channel is a USA territory

UK 1922>>Egypt1922 =

the channel situation can not be the same
 
It's a good idea. I did it in my Shadow of Fashoda timeline. It wasn't a zone but the military bases had extraterritoriality. 50 year lease.
 
I think the big question is whether the Egyptians will still nationalize the canal, prompting the British and French to try to take it back (and the Israelis to jump on too, which I think was a mistake). Since a 99-year lease signed in 1922 wouldn't be up until 2021, I think they would. No change.
 
Not necessarily. A lease is a contract, which can be negotiated. The Btritish were simply holding on to the Suez, period.

If Egypt decides they want a bigger slice of the pie to finance the Aswan Dam, a legal negotiation rather than diplomacy by other means might work better. The US might finance it, since it keeps their allies happy as well as keeping the Middle East from having another armed conflict so soon.

And it keeps Israel out of things.
 
Not necessarily. A lease is a contract, which can be negotiated. The Btritish were simply holding on to the Suez, period.

If Egypt decides they want a bigger slice of the pie to finance the Aswan Dam, a legal negotiation rather than diplomacy by other means might work better. The US might finance it, since it keeps their allies happy as well as keeping the Middle East from having another armed conflict so soon.

And it keeps Israel out of things.

You have a point. Egypt will nationalize the canal as OTL only if the British refuse to budge, and only after considerable negotiation. Clearly the US would put lots of pressure on the UK to be reasonable.
 

abc123

Banned
Simply as a wild idea what if on Egyptian independence in 1922 the British negotiated a deal so that they received a canal zone similar to the one the US had in Panama on a 99 year lease rather than the 20 year deal they made in 1936? The zone is five miles either side of the canal with its own police, courts and judges, and Egytians are allowed to cross over from one side to the via the bridges freely except in military emergencies. Would this have any effect on a future Suez Crisis? If the British keep a permanent military presence in the zone as they did in our timeline and decide not to compromise like they did in 1954 will we see an earlier crisis? If it doesn't clash with the Hungarian revolution and the British have a similar treaty to their own in Panama might the Eisenhower and the US be more neutral than strongly against it?


A good idea. IMO UK should do just exactly THAT in 1922.
After all, they and French have made the Canal, not the Egypt.
And if Britain sticked to stay in Suez Canal Zone, IMO Egypt wouldn't dare to attack.
;)
 
Top