Military coup in Egypt in 1952

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The putschists (from left to right): Abdel Latif Boghdadi, Gamal Abdel Nasser , Salah Salem, Abdel Hakim Amer

The military coup in Egypt in 1952 , also known as the July 23 Revolution , ( Egyptian-Arabic ثورة 23 يوليه "July 23 Revolution") was a military coup in the Kingdom of Egypt that was launched on July 23, 1952 by the so-called " Movement of suitors Officers ”- a group of armed army officers led by Muhammad Nagib and Gamal Abdel Nasser .

history

The coup was originally only aimed at overthrowing King Faruk I and installing the six-month-old son Fuad II as king. However, this movement had more political intentions and soon proceeded to abolish the constitutional monarchy , end the aristocracy in Egypt and Sudan , formally establish a republic , end good relations with Great Britain and secure the independence of Sudan (previously as Anglo-Egyptian Condominium Managed). On July 18, 1953, Fuad was also forced into exile . The new government steadfastly adopted a nationalist and " anti-imperialist " agenda, as expressed by the new pan-Arabism in Egypt and the creation of the non-aligned movement .

The coup was met with opposition from the Western powers of the time , especially the United Kingdom, which had instituted British rule in Egypt in 1882 , and France - both worried about growing nationalist resentment in those territories of the Arab world and Africa still under theirs Control stood. The ongoing state of war with Israel posed additional challenges for the country, as the so-called “free officers” increased military support for the Palestinians . These two matters merged four years after the military coup when Egypt was attacked by Israel (which received help from Britain and France) in the wake of the 1956 Suez Crisis . Despite enormous military losses, Egypt saw itself as a political victor, mainly because it was able to bring the Suez Canal under undisputed Egyptian control for the first time since 1875 and thus eradicate the "national shame" . This strengthened the call for revolutions in other Arab and African countries.

Immediate agrarian reform and large-scale industrialization programs were launched in the first decade of the coup, leading to an unheard of period of infrastructure building and urbanization . By the 1960s, Arab nationalism became the dictated state ideology that turned Egypt into a central government economy. The official fear of a counter-revolution planned by “the West” , of local religious extremism or of possible “ communist infiltration”, and the conflict with Israel were cited as reasons for the severe and long-lasting restriction of the political opposition and the abolition of the multi-party system . The interference with political activity remained in force from 1970 until the presidency of the later Nobel Peace Prize laureate Anwar Sadat ; During this Infitah period, many practices from the 1952 junta era were scaled back or withdrawn.

The initial success of the "July 23rd Revolution" encouraged numerous other nationalist movements in other Arab and African states such as Algeria and Kenya , which were also engaged in anti-colonial struggles against European powers. It also inspired the overturns of existing monarchies and pro-Western governments in the region and on the continent. The military coup is commemorated every year on Egypt's national holiday , the day of the revolution on July 23rd .

However, the “revolution” as a state ideology failed to have an impact in large parts of the country because it was decreed by the state. Problems that emerged in the implementation of the revolution were the stagnation of the illiteracy rate at a high level, the suppression of the two religions Islam and Christianity , and the negative effects of Arab nationalism .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Egypt on the Brink by Tarek Osman, Yale University Press, 2010, p. 40
  2. The Long Struggle: The Seeds of the Muslim World's Frustration by Amil Khan, p. 58
  3. Ibrahim, Sammar. 'Profile: Anwar Al-Sadat' ( Memento November 25, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), Egypt State Information Service , accessed July 20, 2008