Nasser and Egypt Introduction In the 1950s the Egyptian people were suffering from corruption, chaos, and disorganization caused by the ruling class and the political parties but nobody can do anything. It was on July 23, 1952 that the army took power, and in three days exiled King Farouk, and few days later announced the republic, abolished titles, arrested most politicians, and confiscated the properties of Mohammed Ali family. The Free Officers, under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser, were all in low military ranks. They chose as their leader the General Mohammed Naguib who was their senior and was critical of the corruption. After two years, Gamal Abdel Nasser took power and became the President of Egypt.

The Free Officers Headed by Lieutenant Colonel Gamal Abd El Nasser chose General

Mohammed Naguib as their leader

Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918 –1970) was born in Alexandria, his father was a postal worker from Beni Mur in Upper Egypt. During attending secondary schools he strongly objected to the 1936 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty because it stipulated the continued presence of British military bases in the country. In fact, the Treaty stipulated that ordinary Egyptians were allowed to enter the army and it was in the same year that most of the Free Officers entered the Military College to become afterwards officers in the army. At the academy, Nasser met Abdel Hakim Amer and Anwar Al Sadat. After graduating in July 1938, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry, and posted to Mankabad near Assuit in Upper Egypt.

It was here that Nasser and his closest comrades, including Al Sadat and Amer, first discussed their dissatisfaction at widespread corruption in the country and their desire to topple the monarchy. Because of his energy, clear-thinking, and balanced judgement, Nasser emerged as the group's leader. In 1942 he was accepted into the General Staff College and began to form a group of young military officers with strong nationalist sentiments who supported some form of revolution. Arab–Israeli War In May 1948, following the British withdrawal from their mandate of Palestine, King Farouk sent the Egyptian army to the front with Nasser as a staff officer of an Infantry Battalion. During the war, his brigade was surrounded by the Israeli Army. Negotiations finally resulted in the ceding of Faluja to Israel. Revolution of 1952 After the war, Nasser returned to his role as an instructor at the Royal Military Academy. He tried to forge an alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood in October 1948, but soon concluded that their religious agenda was not compatible with his nationalism. Nasser felt that the Free Officers were not ready to move against the government and, for nearly two years, he did little beyond officer recruitment and underground news bulletins. On January 25, 1952, a confrontation between British forces and police at Ismailia caused 40 Egyptian policemen to die, provoking riots in Cairo the next day which left 76 people dead. Cairo was burning on January 26. In May, Nasser received word that King Farouk intended to arrest the Free Officers. But soon, the Free Officers seized control of all government buildings, radio stations, and police stations, as well as army headquarters in Cairo. The people fully supported the movement and the revolution was a great success. Difference with Naguib In January 1953, Nasser overcame opposition from Naguib because he banned all political parties, creating a one-party system under the Liberation Rally. He also introduced far-reaching land reforms to which Naguib disagreed. He removed Naguib. British withdrawal In March 1953, he negotiated a British withdrawal from the Suez Canal and by an agreement in July1954 they were forced to leave by June 1956. Moslem Brotherhood Following a 1954 attempt on his life by a Muslim Brotherhood member, he cracked down on the organization. Nasser became the undisputed leader of Egypt. The Suez crisis Nasser launched large industrial projects, including the Aswan Dam on the Nile River. In December 1955, US Secretary John Foster Dulles announced that the United States, together with Great Britain, was providing funds to Egypt to help in the construction of the Dam. However, few months later he declared that the American offer was being revoked. His real motivation was Nasser’s unceasing attacks on Western colonialism and imperialism. As a consequence Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal. The nationalization announcement was greeted

very emotionally throughout the Arab world. The funds from the canal would be used for the construction of the dam. That same day, Egypt closed the canal to Israeli shipping.

France and the UK, the largest shareholders in the Suez Canal Company, saw its nationalization is another hostile measure aimed at them. The UN Security Council met on the matter and adopted a resolution recognizing Egypt's right to control the canal as long as it continued to allow passage through it for foreign ships. Shortly thereafter, however, the UK, France, and Israel made a secret agreement to take over the Suez Canal, occupy the Suez Canal zone, and topple Nasser. In October 1956, British, French, and Israeli forces attacked Egypt, claiming that they were protecting the Suez Canal. On October 29, 1956, Israeli forces crossed the Sinai Peninsula, and quickly advanced to their objectives. Two days later, British and French planes bombarded Egyptian airfields in the canal zone. The incident nearly provoked a US-Soviet confrontation. Nasser ordered blockage of the canal by sinking or otherwise disabling forty-nine ships at its entrance. The US Eisenhower administration condemned the tripartite invasion, and supported UN resolutions demanding withdrawal and a United Nations Emergency Force to be stationed in Sinai. Nasser commended Eisenhower and by the end of December, British and French forces had totally withdrawn from Egyptian territory, while Israel completed its withdrawal in March 1957 and released all Egyptian prisoners of war. As a result, the invading forces withdrew from Egypt in early 1957 which was a great political victory for Nasser.

As a result of the Suez Crisis, Nasser brought in a set of regulations imposing rigorous requirements for residency and citizenship as well as forced expulsions, mostly affecting British and French nationals and Jews with foreign nationality, as well as many Egyptian Jews. Some 25,000 Jews, almost half of the Jewish community, left in 1956, mainly for Israel, Europe, the United States and South America. After the fighting ended, Nasser's political position was enormously enhanced by the widely perceived failure of the invasion and attempt to topple him. Algerian independence During the eight-year-long Algerian struggle for independence against French rule, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser was a strong vocal supporter of the resistance movement and provided significant military aid to the National Liberation Front. This had prompted increasing French anger towards Nasser which, in addition to Nasser's nationalization of the Suez Canal, drove them to join the United Kingdom and Israel in an attack on Egypt during the Suez Crisis of 1956. Baghdad Pact The Baghdad Pact was formed in February 1955 with headquarters in Turkey between some regional allies of the UK. Nasser considered the Pact a threat to his efforts and a mechanism to perpetuate Arab subservience to Western imperialism.

Arab socialism Between 1952 and 1956, most industry, manufacturing, trade and other services were nationalized. State control of foreign trade, progressive taxation and the seizure of property from 600 of the wealthiest families took place. School education was made free in 1956, with higher education following in 1962. Arms deal Nasser needed to acquire modern weaponry to arm his military. When it became apparent to him that Western countries would not supply Egypt under acceptable financial and military terms, he turned to the Eastern Bloc and concluded an agreement in September 1955 with Czechoslovakia. Through the Czechoslovakian arms deal Nasser's role as the Arab leader defying the West was enhanced. Bandung At the Bandung Conference in Indonesia in April 1955, Nasser was treated by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India and Zhou Enlai of China as the leading representative of the Arab countries and was one of the most popular figures at the summit. He had paid earlier visits to Pakistan, India, Burma, and Afghanistan on the way to Bandung, and previously cemented a treaty of friendship with India in Cairo, strengthening Egyptian–Indian relations on the international policy and economic development fronts. He sought a proclamation for the avoidance of international defense alliances, support for the independence of Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco from French rule, support for the Palestinian right of return, and the implementation of UN resolutions regarding the Arab–Israeli conflict. He succeeded to pass resolutions on each of these issues. Following Bandung, Nasser officially adopted the positive neutralism of Yugoslavian president Josip Tito and Nehru as the Egyptian foreign policy regarding the Cold War. Consequently, Nasser's prestige was greatly boosted.

Nehru

Zhou Enlai

Tito

Recognition of China Immediately after Bandung, Nasser recognized communist China on May 30, 1956 while USA recognition was in January 1, 1970 Murder in Iraq In July 1958 pro-Nasser army officers performed a coup that left Iraqi royalty dead and brought an end to a pro-Western regime there. They pulled their nation out of the Baghdad Pact and ended Iraq's treaty with Jordan, where trouble was brewing for another monarchy.

Union with Syria Nasser was a popular political figure in the Arab world, particularly for his strides towards social justice and Arab unity, modernization policies and anti-imperialist efforts. In 1962, he began a series of major socialist measures and modernization reforms in Egypt. Calls for pan-Arab unity under his leadership increased, culminating with the formation of the United Arab Republic with Syria from 1958 to 1961. By 1963 his supporters gained power in several Arab countries. War in Yemen Nasser became involved in the North Yemen Civil War. From 1962 to 1967 he lost more than 10 000 men, billions of dollars, and lost much of his prestige. The High Dam The Soviets rushed to Egypt’s aid, and the Aswan Dam was officially opened in 1964 in the presence of Khrushchev. In the meantime, he saved many of the ancient Egyptian temples that otherwise would have flooded by the Nile and donated many temples to foreign countries. The dam’s construction forced the relocation of over 100,000 people and several ancient monuments, including the two massive temples of Abu Simbel, which were carefully dismantled and reassembled along the shore of the new reservoir, Lake Nasser.

Diagram shows the old Aswan Dam and the High Dam

Diagram shows the old Aswan Dam and the High Dam

UNESCO did a magnificent job of cutting up the monument piece by piece and then rebuilding it higher up so that it can still visited.

Saving Abu Simple Temple by raising it up

Temple donated to New York Metropolitan Museum of Art

Lake Nasser As a result of building the High Dam a lake was formed behind the dam which was called in his honor.

Lake Nasser

Six-Day War The Six-Day War was fought June 5-10, 1967 by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt (known at the time as the United Arab Republic), Jordan, and Syria. Relations between Israel and its neighbors were not fully normalized after the 1956 Arab–Israeli War. In May 1967 Nasser announced that the straits would be closed to Israeli vessels. On June 5, Israel launched a series of airstrikes against Egyptian airfields. The Egyptians were caught by surprise, and nearly the entire Egyptian air force was destroyed. Simultaneously, the Israelis launched a ground offensive into the Gaza Strip and the Sinai. After some initial resistance, Nasser ordered the evacuation of the Sinai. Israeli forces rushed westward in pursuit of the Egyptians, inflicted heavy losses, and conquered the Sinai. A ceasefire was signed with Israel on 11 June. Israel seized the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, from Jordan and the Golan Heights from Syria. Nasser resigned, but he returned to office after popular demonstrations called for his reinstatement. By 1968, he launched the War of Attrition with Israel to regain lost territory in Sinai, began a process of depoliticizing the military and issued a set of political liberalization reforms. Arrest of Mohammed Naguib Mohammed Naguib (1901-1984) was arrested by President Nasser on November 14, 1954 in a suburban Cairo villa. He was released in 1972 by President Anwar Sadat. He died August 28, 1984 and had a military funeral that was attended by President Hosni Mubarak.

Arrest of Mohammed Naguib

Human rights violations Many of Nasser’s group of officers took advantage of their position and gained many treasures of the royal family. The first thing Nasser did was firing many university professors rumored to be communists or free thinkers. Nasser himself is criticized for his authoritarianism, his many human rights violations, the dominance of military over civil institutions, and establishing a pattern of

military and dictatorial rule in Egypt. He arrested General Mohamed Naguib, never tried or sentenced him. He also devastated his children. The majority of newspaper editors and writers were jailed or self-exiled from Egypt. Torture was practiced in all prisons. He established a single-party system under the National Union. He ordered one of the largest political crackdowns in the modern history of Egypt, with the arrests of thousands of dissenters, mostly members of the Brotherhood, but also communists, and the dismissal of 140 officers loyal to Naguib. Brotherhood leaders were sentenced to death. He began his second presidential term in March 1965 after his political opponents were banned from running. To promote himself and the Liberation Rally, he imposed controls over the country's press by decreeing that all publications had to be approved by the party. The leading Arab singers of the era, performed songs praising Nasser's nationalism while others produced plays denouncing his political opponents. Spying on the population was constantly practiced. Legacy

Selected stamps

Selected coins and medals