5.6.2

Egypt

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Egypt

Egypt was never a formal British colony. But because of the importance of the Suez Canal, Britain had a lot of interest and influence in Egyptian affairs.

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The Suez Canal

  • Egypt was another African country to which the British had not paid much attention before the late 1800s.
  • But in 1869, the Suez Canal was built.
  • This connected the Mediterranean Sea in Europe with the Indian Ocean, and so provided a quick route from Europe to Asia (and, importantly, India).
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Buying out Egypt

  • The British immediately realised the importance of the Suez Canal and recognised how vital it could be for their trade with India.
  • When Egypt landed in financial difficulties in 1875, the British Prime Minister, Disraeli, bought Egypt’s 44% share of the canal.
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Informal control

  • Britain now had a great deal of control over the Suez Canal, and a reason to be invested in the future of Egypt and its affairs.
  • Although Egypt was never a formal British colony, Britain informally ruled Egypt and had a lot of say in how it was run.
    • Because Britain's rule was not formal/direct, it is called indirect rule.

Jump to other topics

1The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

1.1Anglo-Saxon England

1.2The Contest for the English Throne

1.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

1.4King John

1.5The Magna Carta & Parliament

1.6The Black Death

2Worldviews

3The Empire of Mali

4The Renaissance & Reformations, 1500-1598 AD

5The British Empire, 1583-1960 AD

6The Peasants' Revolt

7Religion in the Middle Ages

8Slavery, 1619-1833 AD

9The English Civil War, 1642-1660

10The Industrial Revolution, 1750-1840

11US Independence, 1775-1783

12The French Revolution, 1789-1815

13The British Empire, 1857–1930

14Suffrage

15World War 1, 1914-1918

16The Inter-War Years, 1919-1939

17World War 2, 1939-1945

18The Cold War, 1947-1962

19Civil Rights in the USA, 1954-1975

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