Anthony Eden quotes

Anthony Eden was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1950s. Widely recognized for his foreign policy expertise, he played a key role in international affairs before and during World War II. He is also remembered for his controversial involvement in the Suez Crisis, which significantly impacted his legacy. Here are 34 of his quotes:

If we had allowed things to drift, everything would have gone from bad to worse. Nasser would have become a kind of Moslem Mussolini, and our friends in Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and even Iran would gradually have been brought down. His efforts would have spread westwards, and Libya and North Africa would have been brought under his control.

Anthony Eden

Although [in 1937] we might still hope to prevent the divisions of Europe into Fascist and anti-Fascist camps, our real affinities and interests, strategic as well as political, lay with France, a fact which some of my colleagues were most reluctant to realise.

Anthony Eden

Our quarrel is not with Egypt, still less with the Arab world. It is with Colonel Nasser. He has shown that he is not a man who can be trusted to keep an agreement. Now he has torn up all his country's promises to the Suez Canal Company and has even gone back on his own statements.

Anthony Eden

[T]here was one principle underlying their approach to all these problems-a principle upon which they stood in fundamental opposition to Socialism. The Conservative objective was a nation-wide property-owning democracy. Both parties believed in a form of capitalism, but whereas their opponents believed in State capitalism they believed in the widest measure of individual capitalism. Man should be master of his environment, and not its slave. That was what freedom meant. ... [W]e of the Conservative Party must maintain that the ownership of property is not a crime or a sin, but a reward, a right, and a responsibility that must be shared as equitably as possible among all our citizens.

Anthony Eden

If you drive a nation to adopt procedures which run counter to its instincts, you weaken and may destroy the motive force of its action...You will realise that I am speaking of the frequent suggestion that the United Kingdom should join a federation on the continent of Europe. This is something which we know, in our bones, we cannot do...For Britain's story and her interests lie far beyond the continent of Europe. Our thoughts move across the seas to the many communities in which our people play their part, in every corner of the world. These are our family ties. That is our life: without it we should be no more than some millions of people living in an island off the coast of Europe, in which nobody wants to take any particular interest.

Anthony Eden

We are not at war with Egypt. We are in an armed conflict.

Anthony Eden

You may gain temporary appeasement by a policy of concession to violence, but you do not gain lasting peace that way.

Anthony Eden

Man should be master of his environment, not its slave. That is what freedom means.

Anthony Eden

Everyone is always in favour of general economy and particular expenditure.

Anthony Eden

Since the war began the Government have received countless inquiries from all over the Kingdom from men of all ages who are for one reason or another not at present engaged in military service, and who wish to do something for the defence of the country. Now is your opportunity. We want large numbers of such men in Great Britain who are British subjects, between the ages of 17 and 65, to come forward now and offer their service in order to make assurance doubly sure. The name of the new force which is now to be raised will be the "Local Defence Volunteers."

Anthony Eden

We cannot agree that an act of plunder which threatens the livelihood of many nations should be allowed to succeed. And we must make sure that the life of the great trading nations of the world cannot in the future be strangled at any moment by some interruption to the free passage of the Canal.

Anthony Eden

It would be impertinent for a country that did not suffer occupation to carry a judgment on another one that suffered one.

Anthony Eden

We are not a Party of unbridled, brutal capitalism, and never have been. Although we believe in personal responsibility and personal initiative in business, we are not the political children of the "laissez-faire" school. We opposed them decade after decade.

Anthony Eden

All my life, I've been a man of peace, working for peace, striving for peace, negotiating for peace. I've been a League of Nations man and a United Nations man and I'm still the same man with the same convictions, the same devotion to peace. I couldn't be other even if I wished. But I'm utterly convinced that the action we have taken is right.

Anthony Eden

I do not believe that we can make progress in European appeasement if we allow the impression to gain currency abroad that we yield to constant pressure. I am certain in my own mind that progress depends above all on the temper of the nation, and that temper must find expression in a firm spirit. This spirit I am confident is there. Not to give voice it is I believe fair neither to this country nor to the world.

Anthony Eden

[It] has had the effect of making us the 49th state.

Anthony Eden

Never had so much been surrendered by so many to so few.

Anthony Eden

Many hon. Members, I know, have studied the relevant documents which have been issued about German activities immediately after the last war. They show-I do not think anybody can doubt it-a devastating indictment of the complete absence of German sincerity from the very beginning in fulfilling any of the disarmament stipulations of the Treaty of Versailles. I believe it to be a fact that over the whole range of the disarmament stipulations of that Treaty the German military authorities practised ingenious, universal, and, let us admit it, to a certain extent successful evasion and obstruction at all possible points.

Anthony Eden

I am sure that this policy of non-intervention is the only one which the Government of this country at this moment should pursue, and that it has the support of the great mass of the people of this country who, deeply as they deplore-and they do deplore-the causes of this strife in Spain, believe it to be the first duty of their Government to limit that strife to the great but unhappy country where it now takes place.

Anthony Eden

If you've broken the eggs, you should make the omelette.

Anthony Eden

Corruption never has been compulsory.

Anthony Eden

The Under-Secretary quoted an old military maxim, and I will quote one which is that "Attack is the best possible form of defence." [.

Anthony Eden