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It has been suggested that Operation Blue Bat be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) |
The 1958 Lebanon crisis was a Lebanese political crisis caused by political and religious tensions in the country. It included a U.S. military intervention, leading to the easing of tensions.
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This article is part of the series on: |
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| Ancient History | |||
| Phoenicia | |||
| Ancient history of Lebanon | |||
| Foreign Rule | |||
| Assyrian Rule | |||
| Babylonian Rule | |||
| Persian Rule | |||
| Greek Rule | |||
| Roman Rule | |||
| Byzantine Rule | |||
| Arab Rule | |||
| Ottoman Rule | |||
| French Rule | |||
| Modern Lebanon | |||
| 1958 Lebanon crisis | |||
| Lebanese Civil War | |||
| 1982 Lebanon War | |||
| 2005 Lebanon bombings | |||
| Cedar Revolution | |||
| 2006 Lebanon War | |||
| 2006-8 political protests | |||
| 2007 North Lebanon conflict | |||
| Topical | |||
| Military history | |||
| Economic history | |||
| Timeline of Lebanese history | |||
In July of 1958, Lebanon was threatened by a civil war between Christian Maronites and Muslims. Tensions with Egypt had escalated earlier in 1956 when pro-western President Camille Chamoun, a Christian, did not break diplomatic relations with the Western powers that attacked Egypt during the Suez Crisis, angering Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. Lebanese Sunni Muslim Prime Minister Rashid Karami supported Nasser in 1956 and 1958. Karami formed a national reconciliation government after the 1958 crisis ended.
Lebanese Muslims pushed the government to join the newly created United Arab Republic (Egypt and Syria), while the Christians wanted to keep Lebanon aligned with Western Powers. A Muslim rebellion and the toppling of a pro-Western government in Iraq caused President Chamoun to call for U.S. assistance.
The President of the United States, Eisenhower responded by authorizing Operation Blue Bat on July 15, 1958. The goal of the operation was to bolster the pro-Western Lebanese government of President Camille Chamoun against internal opposition and threats from Syria and Egypt. The plan was to occupy and secure the Beirut International Airport, a few miles south of the city, then to secure the port of Beirut and approaches to the city. The operation involved approximately 14,000 men, including 8,509 Army personnel, including a contingent from the 24th Airborne Brigade of the 24th Infantry Division (based in Germany) and 5,670 officers and men of the Marine Corps. The presence of the troops successfully quelled the opposition and the U.S. withdrew its forces on October 25, 1958.
President Eisenhower also sent diplomat Robert D. Murphy to Lebanon as his personal representative. Murphy played a significant role in persuading President Chamoun to resign and also in the selection of moderate Christian general Fuad Chehab as Chamoun's replacement.
The operation, in conjunction with the resignation of Chamoun as President of Lebanon and his replacement by Fuad Chehab was largely a success. Tensions faded and the government was secured under new leadership. The operation ended on October 25 of the same year. Casualties were remarkably light, with only three soldiers dying in accidents and one killed by a sniper.