Declaration of the independence of Egypt

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, The Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian independence from February 28, 1922 ( English Unilateral Declaration of Egyptian Independence , Arabic تصريح 28 فبراير ) was an explanation of Britain in which the British government under Prime Minister David Lloyd George Egypt under the rule of Muhammad Ali Dynasty the government Granted independence .

prehistory

A strong nationalist movement had existed in Egypt since the Urabi movement of 1879, which wanted to free Egypt from foreign influences, but initially did not want the formal separation from the Ottoman Empire and thus full state independence, because that would have endangered the unity of the Islamic world . After the Urabi revolt was put down, British rule began in Egypt in 1882 .

When the First World War broke out in 1914, the Ottoman Empire sided with the Central Powers . The British took the opportunity and declared the Sultanate of Egypt their protectorate on December 18, 1914 . For the time being, the Egyptian national movement remained loyal to the Ottoman Empire and refused to cooperate with the British colonial power. Their leader was the deposed Egyptian viceroy Abbas II , who had declared an uprising. With the entry of the United States into the war , the assumption of government by Fu'ad I in 1917 and the looming defeat of the Ottoman Empire, the nationalists took a complete change of direction. They began to demand Egyptian independence from Great Britain and the Ottoman Empire. They were influenced and supported by the US President Woodrow Wilson , who proclaimed the self-determination of all nations , and by Sultan Fu'ad I, who strove for a common independent state with Sudan.

occurrence

After the end of the World War, the leading Egyptian nationalists and intellectuals formed a delegation (Wafd) to demand Egyptian independence at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 . The delegation was refused to leave the country and its members were deported to Malta in March 1919 .

The deportations sparked a nationwide popular uprising in which people from all social classes in the country took part. The crackdown cost the lives of hundreds and discredited Great Britain among Egyptians and internationally. London was then forced to increase the troop presence in Egypt and Sudan, but then had to fight increasingly with protests and revolts. Ultimately, the British had to let the Egyptian delegation leave the country. However, when they arrived, Egypt had already been recognized as a British protectorate.

In November 1919, the British sent a commission headed by Alfred Milner to Egypt to try to clear up the tense situation. In 1920, Milner presented his situation report to the British Foreign Secretary George Curzon and recommended that he abolish the protectorate and establish a British-Egyptian military alliance. Curzon agreed and invited an Egyptian delegation led by Saad Zaghlul and Adli Yakan Pascha to London. By August 1920, the delegation negotiated a treaty that was to bring Egypt largely independent from Great Britain. In February 1921 the British Parliament approved the agreement. In June 1921, Egypt and Sudan were granted sovereignty as a state.

content

The declaration of independence for Egypt was signed on February 28, 1922. With this declaration, Great Britain granted the Sultanate of Egypt independence, but retained important rights that restricted the sovereignty of Egypt.

The contract contained the following (important) points:

  • The end of the British protectorate over Egypt and recognition as a sovereign state .
  • The end of martial law , which had ruled since November 24, 1914.
  • The right of Great Britain to have a right of way for British troops in Egypt.
  • The right of Britain to defend Egypt against any outside aggression or interference.
  • The right of Great Britain to protect foreign interests in Egypt and European minorities.
  • The UK's right to continue to station troops in Sudan. In return, recognition of the Egyptian claims to the area.
  • The UK's right to have a say in Egyptian foreign policy
  • The UK's right to station troops in Egypt.

The so-called reserve rights of Great Britain partially restricted Egyptian independence. In addition, Great Britain was able to intervene in the domestic affairs of Egypt at any time thanks to its troop presence in the country. This also hindered the establishment of the Egyptian army.

consequences

With the treaty, Egypt regained its independence after 2000 years of multiple foreign rule and became one of the first independent states in Africa . However, many saw the new independence as not perfect. Nevertheless, especially the Egyptian elite around Fu'ad I, who proclaimed himself King of Egypt and Sudan on March 15, 1922 , began building a new, independent state. A progressive and liberal constitution was enacted in 1923 and the first parliamentary elections were held in January 1924 . They brought the new Wafd party under Saad Zaghlul to power. As a result, rapid economic modernization and the establishment of an efficient administration made it possible to stabilize Egypt in the long term. The Kingdom of Egypt thus effectively inherited the Ottoman Empire, which fell in 1922, as the leading power in the Arab and Islamic world and became a model for many states in the region that later became independent.

In November 1924, a riot in Sudan shook the new status. As a result, Egypt was able to elude British influence and began to pursue its own foreign and military policy, but at the same time had to forego important rights in Sudan. Parts of the 1922 treaty were not fulfilled by either side.

The British declaration of independence for Egypt was replaced by the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty in 1936 .

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Joan Wucher King: Historical Dictionary of Egypt. Books of Lasting Value, American University in Cairo Press , 1989., pp. 259-260., ISBN 978-977-424-213-7 .