- In full:
- Robert Anthony Eden, 1st earl of Avon, Viscount Eden of Royal Leamington Spa
- Also called (until 1961):
- Sir Anthony Eden
- Born:
- June 12, 1897, Windlestone, Durham, England
- Died:
- January 14, 1977, Alvediston, Wiltshire (aged 79)
- Political Affiliation:
- Conservative Party
- Role In:
- Suez Crisis
- On the Web:
- History Today - Anthony Eden (Nov. 13, 2026)
Anthony Eden
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Who was Anthony Eden?
Anthony Eden (1897–1977) was a prominent British politician who served as prime minister from 1955 to 1957.
Earlier in his career, he served as foreign secretary for multiple terms (1935–38, 1940–45, and 1951–55). Eden resigned as foreign secretary in 1938 to protest Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.
As prime minister, he attempted to ease international tensions and welcomed Soviet leaders to Britain. However, his premiership was cut short due to the Suez Crisis in 1956, which drew criticism from the United States and within Britain. Eden resigned in January 1957, citing ill health.
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When was Anthony Eden Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?
Anthony Eden served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from April 6, 1955, until his resignation on January 9, 1957. He succeeded Winston Churchill. Eden's tenure was significantly impacted by the Suez Crisis in 1956, which led to wide criticism and ultimately contributed to his decision to resign due to ill health.
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What political party did Anthony Eden belong to?
Anthony Eden, who served as prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1955 to 1957, belonged to the Conservative Party. He was a prominent figure within the party, serving as foreign secretary before assuming the role of prime minister. Eden's tenure as prime minister was marked by the Suez Crisis in 1956, which led to his resignation in January 1957.
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What important events happened while Anthony Eden was Prime Minister?
During Anthony Eden's time as prime minister (1955-1957), several significant events occurred. In 1956, Gamal Abdel Nasser, the head of the Egyptian state, nationalized the Suez Canal Company, a company in which the British government had been a principal stockholder since 1875. This led to the Suez Crisis, where British and French forces attacked Egypt in conjunction with an Israeli attack. The intervention, however, was cut short in December 1956 when UN emergency units replaced British and French troops. Eden's actions drew criticism internationally and within Britain, contributing to his resignation in January 1957, citing ill health.
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What was the Suez Crisis, and how was Anthony Eden involved?
The Suez Crisis was an international crisis in 1956 that occurred after Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal. This canal had been under the ownership of the Suez Canal Company, which was controlled by French and British interests.
British Prime Minister Anthony Eden's fall began when Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal Company on July 26, 1956, an entity in which the British government had been a major shareholder. This led to a joint Anglo-French attack on Egypt on November 5, following an earlier attack by Israel. Due to pressure from the U.S., British and French forces were replaced by UN emergency units by December 22, but the canal remained under Egyptian control. Eden resigned in January 1957, citing ill health.
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Why did Anthony Eden resign as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?
Anthony Eden resigned as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on January 9, 1957, citing ill health as the primary reason. However, his resignation was hastened by the Suez Crisis of 1956. In response to Gamal Abdel Nasser's nationalization of the Suez Canal Company, of which the British government was a principal stockholder, Eden orchestrated an Anglo-French attack on Egypt.
The military intervention failed to achieve its objectives and drew heavy criticism from the United States and the United Nations, leading to the deployment of UN emergency units and the end of Anglo-French occupation. The Suez Crisis damaged Eden's reputation and leadership, contributing to his decision to step down from his position as prime minister.
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Anthony Eden (born June 12, 1897, Windlestone, Durham, England—died January 14, 1977, Alvediston, Wiltshire) was a British foreign secretary in 1935–38, 1940–45, and 1951–55 and prime minister from 1955 to 1957.
After combat service in World War I, Eden studied Oriental languages (Arabic and Persian) at Christ Church, Oxford. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1923 and was appointed undersecretary of state for foreign affairs in 1931, lord privy seal (with special responsibility for international relations) in 1934, and minister for League of Nations affairs (a cabinet office created for him) in June 1935. He became foreign secretary in December 1935 but resigned in February 1938 to protest Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.
On the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, Eden reentered Chamberlain’s government as dominions secretary. When Churchill became prime minister on May 10, 1940, Eden was named secretary of state for war, but from December 23, 1940, until the defeat of the Conservatives in July 1945, he served once more as foreign secretary. On October 27, 1951, after Churchill and the Conservative Party had been returned to power, Eden again became foreign secretary and also was designated deputy prime minister. In 1954 he helped to settle the Anglo-Iranian oil dispute, to resolve the quarrel between Italy and Yugoslavia over Trieste, to stop the Indochina War, and to establish the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO).
In 1953 he became seriously ill, and, although he underwent several operations, he never fully regained his health. Succeeding Churchill as prime minister on April 6, 1955, he attempted to relax international tension by welcoming to Great Britain the Soviet leaders Nikita Khrushchev and Nikolay Bulganin. His fall began on July 26, 1956, when Gamal Abdel Nasser, head of the Egyptian state, nationalized the Suez Canal Company, in which the British government had been a principal stockholder since 1875. This action led to an Anglo-French attack on Egypt on November 5, one week after an attack on Egypt by Israel.
British public opinion was more favourable to Eden’s show of force than the Labour and Liberal parties had expected; his supporters regretted, however, that he did not fulfill his intention of occupying the key positions of Port Said, Ismailia, and Suez. By December 22, partly through U.S. pressure, British and French forces had been supplanted by UN emergency units, but the canal was left in Egyptian hands rather than subjected to international control. The next month, on January 9, 1957, Eden resigned, giving ill health as his reason.
Eden was knighted (K.G.) in 1954 and created earl of Avon in 1961. Eden’s memoirs were issued in three volumes: Full Circle (1960), Facing the Dictators (1962), and The Reckoning (1965).