Final answer:
Great Britain took control of the Suez Canal by purchasing Egypt's shares in 1875 and militarily securing it during the Egyptian civil war in 1882. British control lasted until the Suez Crisis of 1956, after which international pressure led to the withdrawal of British, French, and Israeli forces, and Egypt regained control.
Step-by-step explanation:
Great Britain took control of the Suez Canal through a combination of financial investments and military interventions. The Canal, completed in 1869, was initially opposed by the British because they feared its control by the French and its threat to the British route to Asia. However, as Egypt's economy faltered, the Khedive Ismail Pasha sold his country's shares to Britain in 1875. British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli financed the purchase with a loan from Baron Lionel de Rothschild. Later, in 1882, Britain sent troops to protect the Canal during an Egyptian civil war and subsequently declared Egypt a de facto British protectorate, essentially seizing control of the waterway, which was important for maintaining the British Empire's maritime route to India.
The Suez Canal Crisis of 1956 was a pivotal event involving Egypt's seizure of the Canal, which led to a military response from Britain, France, and Israel. However, due to international pressure, mainly from the United States and the Soviet Union, control of the Canal was handed back to Egypt, marking the end of Britain's direct control over it and signaling a shift in global power dynamics.