Suez

T1, E3: When new Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal in 1956, Britain and France were outraged. The two European powerhouses had been running this lucrative waterway for decades and were reluctant to give it up without a fight. In a clandestine plot, Britain and France planned an invasion to take back control of the canal. But once the UN intervened, they left empty handed.