From Territorial Control to Negotiated Sovereignty: A Comparative Case Study of the Suez and Panama Canal in a Globalised World

This thesis analyses how the nationalisation of the Suez Canal in 1956 and the transfer of sovereignty over the Panama Canal in 1999 reflect tensions between national autonomy and foreign interference in postcolonial contexts. It argues that while both Egypt and Panama regained formal control over their canals, sovereignty did not translate into full political or economic autonomy, but was instead reshaped within global power structures. Using a comparative historical case study methodology, the research examines political, economic, and symbolic dimensions of sovereignty in both cases. The analysis is grounded in international relations theories, including realism, liberal institutionalism, dependency theory, constructivism, and postcolonial theory. The findings show a shift from direct military intervention in Suez to treaty-based and institutionalised forms of influence in Panama, demonstrating how globalisation transformed rather than eliminated external control. By comparing...Show moreThis thesis analyses how the nationalisation of the Suez Canal in 1956 and the transfer of sovereignty over the Panama Canal in 1999 reflect tensions between national autonomy and foreign interference in postcolonial contexts. It argues that while both Egypt and Panama regained formal control over their canals, sovereignty did not translate into full political or economic autonomy, but was instead reshaped within global power structures. Using a comparative historical case study methodology, the research examines political, economic, and symbolic dimensions of sovereignty in both cases. The analysis is grounded in international relations theories, including realism, liberal institutionalism, dependency theory, constructivism, and postcolonial theory. The findings show a shift from direct military intervention in Suez to treaty-based and institutionalised forms of influence in Panama, demonstrating how globalisation transformed rather than eliminated external control. By comparing two rarely compared cases, the thesis contributes to debates on sovereignty and globalisation and offers insights applicable to contemporary strategic infrastructure projects such as energy pipelines, Arctic sea routes, and the Belt and Road Initiative.Show less

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From Territorial Control to Negotiated Sovereignty: A Comparative Case Study of the Suez and Panama Canal in a Globalised World