Anglo-Egyptian Treaty
The Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936 ( English officially The Treaty of Alliance Between His Majesty, in Respect of the United Kingdom, and His Majesty, the King of Egypt , Arabic المعاهدة البريطانية المصرية لعام 1936 ) was a military alliance treaty between the Kingdom of Egypt with the Sudan and Great Britain .
According to the terms of the treaty, Great Britain had to give up its special rights that had existed since Egypt's independence in 1922 . His troops still stationed in Egypt were to be withdrawn to the Suez Canal Zone and their number limited to 10,000 soldiers. In addition, it was obliged to help build the Egyptian armed forces , which were now under the full command of the Egyptian-Sudanese king , and to support them in the event of war. The treaty was to be valid for 20 years, replacing the 1922 declaration of independence for Egypt . The treaty was signed on August 26, 1936 and came into force on December 22 of the same year.
background
In November 1918, seven prominent Egyptians from the aristocracy and upper middle class formed a delegation which was to negotiate the independence of the Sultanate of Egypt , which had been a British protectorate since its establishment in 1914 , at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 . However, after the British imposed an exit ban, a revolution broke out. As a result, the delegation was allowed to travel to the conference and Egyptian-British negotiations on Egyptian independence took place. On February 22nd, 1922, Great Britain released Egypt as one of the first African and Asian countries to gain state independence, thereby removing it from the British Empire . However, the former colonial power secured some reservation rights which restricted independence. However, the Egyptian political elite around the Egyptian-Sudanese King Fu'ad I quickly began building a modern state. In 1922 Egypt became a kingdom , a progressive and liberal constitution was enacted in 1923 and the first parliamentary elections were held in January 1924 . The new independence was shaken by several crises (1924 British-Egyptian crisis over the status of Sudan , 1928 state crisis in Egypt ) and was restricted by the regular use of British special rights. The dictatorship of Ismail Sedki Pasha and the subsequent royal dictatorship of Fu'ad ultimately led to the de facto collapse of the status quo . Protests and demonstrations by the population forced Fu'ad's son and successor Faruq to rule more democratically and to allow elections in May 1936, which were won by the Wafd party under Mustafa an-Nahhas Pascha . In view of the danger of an Italian invasion ( Abyssinian War ), the strong rivalries with Italy for political and economic supremacy in Libya and popular demonstrations for full independence, Mustafa an-Nahhas resumed talks with the British, which had been unsuccessfully broken off in 1930. The royal Egyptian government demanded complete independence, the recognition of Egyptian claims in Sudan and the right to pursue an independent foreign and military policy . Due to the tensions in Europe, Great Britain found itself under pressure and agreed to the Egyptian demands. Negotiations were concluded in August 1936.
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The treaty was signed on August 26, 1936 and ratified on December 22, 1936, after which it entered into force.
The contract stipulated the following points:
- The British troop presence in Egypt is limited to the border areas, Sudan and the Suez Canal Zone . There were detailed conditions for places where ground , air and naval forces could be stationed.
- Egypt is (again) recognized as a sovereign independent state. Ambassadors should be exchanged and Egypt's accession to the League of Nations should be made possible.
- A military alliance between the two countries is formed, which should be limited to mutual support in war. This includes the use of the Egyptian infrastructure, such as ports and railways.
- The Suez Canal is recognized as an integral part of Egypt.
- The Egyptian army is placed under the supreme command of the King of Egypt and Sudan and is declared to be the guarantor of the Egyptian national defense .
- Great Britain is granted the right to deploy 10,000 soldiers and 400 pilots with auxiliary personnel in the Suez Canal zone in peacetime. The numbers can increase in times of war.
- In Sudan, Egyptian sovereignty rights are being strengthened and condominium status can be renegotiated at any time .
- Egypt is given the right to abolish the surrenders that have existed since the Ottoman rule (privileges of foreigners in judicial and financial areas).
- Any existing agreements that are incompatible with this treaty will be repealed.
- After ten years, the contract can be revised at the request of both parties.
- After twenty-five years, the contract can be revised at the request of either party.
- Any revision must be accepted by both sides and by the League of Nations.
- The British Armed Forces enjoy immunity from civil or criminal proceedings by the Egyptian courts in relation to acts deemed part of their duty.
- The British military bases on Egyptian territory are inviolable.
- British troops enjoy freedom of movement between their camps and access points into Egypt.
- British troops enjoy unrestricted communication rights.
- British troops have the right to generate and distribute electrical energy .
- British forces have the right to send messages, including telegrams, through the Egyptian communications systems.
- The British troops have the right to use the Egyptian rail and communication system at the then current prices.
- British troops do not have the right to leave Alexandria until eight years after the Treaty entered into force .
- The British Air Force has the right to use Egyptian airspace and aircraft belonging to the Royal Egyptian Air Force .
- In the event of war, the Egyptian government is obliged to make all facilities available to the British armed forces .
- The Egyptian government is allowed to conclude contracts with foreign countries.
The contract was signed at the Zaafarana Palace in Cairo by two delegations: Anthony Eden , Ramsay MacDonald for Great Britain and Mustafa an-Nahhas Pasha, Ali Maher Pasha , Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil and Wasef Boutros Ghali Pasha for Egypt. The ratifications were only signed by Eden and an-Nahhas in Cairo.
consequences
While the treaty strengthened Egyptian independence and Egyptian sovereignty rights in Sudan, it secured Britain's troop presence in Egypt. In the Sudan, the unrestricted immigration of Egyptians and the return of Egyptian troops, officials and politicians to the area was made possible. In 1937, Egypt, with the approval of Great Britain, abolished the economic privileges of foreigners and joined the League of Nations. However, Britain and Egypt failed to adhere to certain points in the treaty. After Great Britain declared war on Nazi Germany and Italy entered the war against Great Britain , Egypt did not declare war on the Axis Powers , but remained neutral. Great Britain kept a larger army in Egypt than the required 10,000 soldiers and intervened several times in the internal affairs of the country. For example, during the government crisis of 1942, the British government forced King Faruq to appoint Mustafa an-Nahhas Pasha as Prime Minister.
After the end of the Second World War , on September 23, 1945, the Egyptian government called for the treaty to be renegotiated with the aim of ending the British military presence and completely incorporating Sudan.
End of contract
After the Wafd party won the parliamentary elections in January 1950 , the new Wafd government under Mustafa an-Nahhas Pascha unilaterally terminated the contract in October 1951 after unsuccessful negotiations. Three years later, after the revolution of 1952 , the new revolutionary government under Gamal Abdel Nasser and Muhammad Nagib concluded an agreement with Great Britain in 1954, which stipulated the withdrawal of the British from the Suez Canal zone by June 1956. On July 26, 1956, Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal and triggered the Suez Crisis .
literature
- Bunton Cleveland: A History of the Modern Middle East. Boulder, Westview Press, 2013.
Web links
- Full text of the treaty ( Memento of September 24, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) ( Foreign and Commonwealth Office )