Disputes
In 1938, Benito Mussolini demanded that Italy have a sphere of influence in the Suez Canal, specifically demanding that an Italian representative be placed on the company's board of directors. Italy opposed the French monopoly over the Suez Canal because under French domination of the company all Italian merchant traffic to its colony of Italian East Africa was forced to pay tolls upon entering the canal.
In the 1950s, the Egyptian government demanded the nationalization of the Suez Canal resulting in the Suez Crisis.
Read more about this topic: Suez Canal Company