1956 Episode 2.1: Bitter French Pills (Patreon)

First – ask yourself, do you love history?

Second – answer yes, and have a listen to us here, as we unpack the Suez Crisis, in 21 easy steps!

For everyone, episodes 2.1 and 2.2 are out now, but for those Patrons at the $5 level and above, 1956 is about to get very interesting indeed! For the rest of the year we’ll be hitting you with the run up to, outbreak of and consequences of the SUEZ CRISIS. If you’ve been holding off from being a Patron up to now, then I can guarantee you that there has never been a better time to sign up. I think the last time we released a series so diplomatically juicy was…well…every time, but still, you’d be mad to miss out!

So what’s in the box of Episode 2.1: Bitter French Pills? Well in order to get to the bottom of Suez, we must begin the story with one its main actors, and this is where the French come in. In this episode, we will examine the painful post-war experience of France, why it was so reluctant to let go of its colonies and how this caused it more damage in the long run. As an integral, but largely forgotten player in the Crisis, understanding the French angle is essential for us. On many occasions, the fractured French government would be the only thing holding the also fractured plans for Suez together. Here, we discover what was moving the French in North Africa, and how its bitter Algerian pill, which it would put off swallowing for some time, so influenced its government’s decision to weigh in against Egypt.