In 1956, the United States, led by President Dwight Eisenhower, was involved in the Suez Canal Crisis involving Israel, Egypt, France, and Great Britain. US involvement in the Suez Canal crisis not only led to Egyptian and Soviet victory, but also revealed that the US was capable of gambling to gain an alliance with Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser as the gateway access to the Middle East. America, completely dismayed by its allies planning an undertaking that neglected the country, became involved in the Suez crisis to confirm its position as a superpower in the Middle East. Britain had been present in Egypt since the inception of the Suez Canal. The nation recognized the power of the man-made waterway that connected Europe to Asia. The entire world understood the importance of the canal, knowing that if it were nationalized and taken over by the Egyptian government, it could be closed to the use of other countries. On July 26, 1956, Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser did just that. Frightened by Egypt's nationalization of the Suez Canal, the British decided to create a secret alliance with Israel and France which convinced Israel to invade Egypt even though Egypt, obtaining military aid from the Soviet Union, was planning to successfully invade Israel (Milner) Before the canal was built, merchants and sailors went down to the southern tip of Africa known as the Cape of God Hope and up to the Indian Sea. The Suez Canal was created by Ferdinand Lesseps and opened in November 1869 so ships could travel from Europe to Western Asia. The canal was dug through the bones and remains of those Egyptian workers who toiled and dug the canal... middle of paper... was bidding dearly on one of the most prosperous regions of the world at the time of need. The United States could have remained neutral on the matter, but seeing that the USSR was starting to help the Egyptians in 1955 (Milner), Eisenhower got involved so that there would be no doubt about which nation held power in the Middle East. "A story to remember." The economist. The Economist newspaper, 29 July 2006. Web. 27 March 2014. Ignazio, David. "What the Suez Crisis Can Remind Us About the Power of the United States." Washington Post. The Washington Post, January 25, 2013. Web. April 26, 2014. McDermott, Rose. "Chapter 6: The Suez Crisis of 1956." Risk taking in international politics: Prospect theory in American foreign policy. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 1998. 135-64. Print.Milner, Laurie. "The Suez Crisis." BBC News. BBC, 3 March 2011. Web. 25 March. 2014.