Overview: In 1956, an international crisis over control of the Suez Canal put Britain and France into direct conflict with President Nasser of Egypt, a proud Arab nationalist determined to stand up to foreign powers meddling in Egyptian affairs. To understand the deep roots of the crisis we go right back to the creation of the canal in 1869, and the long history of British intervention in Egypt - all with the usual Epic History TV maps as well as loads of brilliant and rarely-seen archive film from the period.