OR Industrial Revolution it was instrumental in the development of shipping, drastically affecting the speed, safety and cost of sea transport. Before the Industrial Revolution, the sailing of ships relied mainly on the power of the wind. OR invention of the steam engine by James Watt, however, and its application to a ship by Robert Fulton made navigation independent of weather conditions. Steamships proved to be much faster and more reliable than the old sailing ships.
The Industrial Revolution also made possible the transition from wooden ships to those made of metal. The use of iron and later steel for their construction made them more durable. The new ships were much larger than the wooden ones, allowing for the transport of larger cargoes.
It is considered that the opening of the Suez Canal in Egypt played a decisive role in the development of maritime transport on a global scale. It was literally a pharaonic work, as its inspiration was Pharaoh Sesostris I (or Senusret I as he is also known) of the 12th Dynasty of ancient Egypt, who expressed during the 19th century. B.C. the intention to unite the Nile Delta with the Red Sea by a canal. Other rulers of antiquity tried to implement similar plans, but without much success.
In recent times, the French showed a strong interest in the construction of a canal that would connect the Red Sea with the Mediterranean.
In more recent times, around the middle of the 19th century, the French showed a strong interest in the construction of a canal that would connect the Red Sea with the Mediterranean. Specifically, in 1854 and 1856 the diplomat and engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps he obtained permission from the Khedive of Egypt, Said Pasha, to construct a canal, which would be open to the passage of all ships, regardless of their flag. In December 1858, the construction company that would end the project under the name was founded “The Universal Company of the Maritime Canal of Suez”.
Construction work on this ambitious project began in April 1859 and lasted ten years. On August 18, 1869, the workers managed to throw the last embankment, allowing the waters of the two seas to join. A few months later, on November 17, 1869, the official inauguration of the Suez Canal took place. Present at this grand ceremony were about six thousand guests, among whom were the Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, the Emperor of Austria-Hungary Francis Joseph, the heir to the Prussian throne Frederick William, the brother of the King of Holland, the British Ambassador in Istanbul and many others.
The opening of the canal strengthened British influence in the Middle East region.
The opening of the canal fundamentally changed the way sea transport was conducted. It connected the Mediterranean Sea with the Red and by extension the Indian Ocean and shortened the distance a ship needed to travel to reach India and the Far East from Western Europe. Therefore, it also reduced the cost of transporting goods to and from these areas. Moreover, especially after gaining control of the canal, it strengthened British influence in the Middle East region.
Column editor: Myrto Katsigera, Vassilis Minakakis, Antigoni-Despina Poimenidou, Athanasios Syroplakis
