United Arab Republic
| الجمهورية العربية المتحدة | |||||
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al-Jumhūriyya al-ʿarabiyya al-Muttahida |
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| United Arab Republic | |||||
| 1958-1961 | |||||
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| Official language | Arabic | ||||
| Capital | Cairo | ||||
| Form of government | republic | ||||
| Head of state , also head of government | Gamal Abdel Nasser | ||||
| surface | 1,186,630 km² | ||||
| population | 32 million | ||||
| founding | 1958 | ||||
| resolution | 1961 | ||||
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The United Arab Republic, which existed from 1958 to 1961 ( VAR ; Arabic الجمهورية العربية المتحدة al-Jumhūriyya al-ʿarabiyya al-Muttahida , DMG al-Ǧumhūrīya al-ʿarabīya al-Muttaḥida ) was an amalgamation of the Arab states of Egypt and Syria .
The union was established on February 1, 1958. It was joined on March 8, 1958 by the Kingdom of Yemen (Northern Yemen) in a loose confederation , which operated under the name of the United Arab States .
The union broke up with the withdrawal of Syria on September 28, 1961 and North Yemen in December 1961. Egypt retained the name of the United Arab Republic after its end until 1972.
Establishment
After the founding of the Republic of Egypt in 1952, Gamal Abdel Nasser pursued a policy of uniting all Arab countries ( pan-Arabism ). The aim of this policy was to drive back American , British and French influence in the Middle East and North Africa . This contrasted with the conservative monarchies of Saudi Arabia , Iraq and Jordan . Only Syria allied with Egypt.
The trade unions of Syria and the pan-Arab socialist Baath party saw the union as a means of achieving a rapid transformation towards socialism. The Syrian bourgeoisie and the wealthy elites hoped for an improvement in economic conditions in the country through the joint economic power of the Union. The leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood feared a wave of repression similar to that which had occurred in Egypt since 1954. However, a large part of the cadre was generally positive about the association.
At the beginning of 1958, Syria pushed for a union treaty, which came about on February 1. The reason for the Syrian insistence were Turkey's threats of war after violent fighting on the common border had already broken out in December 1957. Syria also felt threatened by the Baghdad Pact . Egypt, which had been internationally isolated since the Suez crisis , saw the unification of the two countries as a first step towards the unification of all Arab states.
Domestic politics
The union between Syria and Egypt was not an association of equal partners, rather Syria should be integrated into the existing political system of Egypt rather like a province. A main condition was the self-dissolution of all political parties and the adoption of the one-party system under Nasser's leadership. Numerous political and military posts were filled with Egyptians and the country was covered with an administration based on the Egyptian model. This also included the rigid police state that Nasser had established in Egypt. Numerous Syrian representatives who had been integrated into the new system criticized the lack of freedom of action. Many of them subsequently resigned from their offices. The unions were also cleared of unpleasant officials, strikes were banned and the once independent organizations were incorporated into the Ministry of Labor.
In terms of economic and social policy, the VAR began a land reform in Syria , in which around half of the large land holdings that made up 35% of the total area were to be redistributed. Likewise, 120 hectares of irrigated land and 480 hectares of non-irrigated land were set as the maximum ownership limit as ownership limits. By 1961, a little more than half of the targeted property had been nationalized. However, only a very small part of the land was redistributed to only 4,500 farming families. Most of the property was leased to its previous owners. Legal regulations for agricultural workers on weekly working hours, minimum wages and lease contracts, in particular the prohibition of lifelong leases, strengthened the rights of landless farmers. In April 1959, the VAR passed a new labor protection law that introduced pension, death, disability and accident insurance. In July 1961, Nasser decreed a wave of nationalizations , as a result of which banks, insurance companies and large industrial companies were completely or partially transferred to state ownership.
Consequences in the Arab States
As a result of the increase in power of the anti-monarchist Arab nationalists by the UAR, Iraq and Jordan signed an agreement on February 22, 1958 to unite the two countries. However, the Arab Federation was dissolved again on August 2, 1958 , following the fall of the Iraqi monarchy . In Jordan, several coup attempts by the Nassist military were prevented. Britain sent air forces to Jordan at the request of the government. In Lebanon violent broke fighting between pro-Western and pan-Arab militias from. The conflict was initially ended by the intervention of the USA. Despite the coup, the new Iraqi President Abd al-Karim Qasim refused to join the UAR.
Dissolution of the Union
There were soon a number of differences in the Union. The Egyptians nationalized all companies and banks operating in Syria and designated Cairo as the capital. Almost the entire government was made up of Egyptians. People in Syria felt cheated and betrayed. On September 27, 1961 , the army carried out a coup in Syria and declared the Union dissolved the following day. Syria was renamed the Syrian Arab Republic again, Egypt continued the name United Arab Republic until 1972. The United Arab Republic of 1963 was an attempt to reunite Egypt and Syria with the inclusion of Iraq .
literature
- Lothar Rathmann (ed.): History of the Arabs. From the beginning to the present, Volume 6, Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1983.
- Günther Barthel, Günther Nötzold (Ed.): The Arab countries. An economic geographic representation. Haack, Gotha 1987.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Volker Perthes: State and Society in Syria, Hamburg 1990, p. 53, p. 56
- ^ Alison Pargeter: The Muslim Brotherhood. From Opposition to Power, London 2010, p. 70.
- ^ A b Volker Pethes: State and Society in Syria, Hamburg 1990, pp. 54–57
- ↑ Kamal Salibi: The Modern History of Jordan, 3rd Edition, London 2010 pp. 194-202