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Egyptian Revolutions
Egypt is one of the most recognizable countries in the world, mostly for its beautiful
ancient artifacts. Many people are unaware of the political, social, and economic unrest
this country has endured, dating back to 1919, when Egypt had its first revolution. Two
other revolutions have occurred since 1919, coming thirty three years later in 1952, and
then once more in the 21st century. These three revolutions all happened for different
reasons, and when researching further into each one, a great deal can be learned about
Egyptian culture, society, and history.
The Egyptian revolution of 1919 had the primary goal of eradicating British presence from
Egypt. The British had a strong presence in Egypt for many years leading up to the
revolution. Britain declared martial law in Egypt as a result of the Ottoman Empire’s
conflict with the Russian government. The level of control was expected to slowly decline
once the conflict was over, but spread into other parts of society, displeasing many
Egyptian citizens and creating great tension. Britain’s consul general, known as Lord
Cromer, practically ruled Egypt from 1883 until 1907. Cromer’s political practices were
the reason for Egypt’s deteriorating educational programs, which led to even more poverty
and government control. World War 1 was the turning point which created an extreme
resentment in Egypt’s society towards Britain. This was led Great Britain to establish a
formal protectorate over Egypt, claiming it as a sultanate. A sultanate is a country owned
or ruled by a sultan, which is Britain in this particular instance. As the war ended, and a
strong British presence was still seen in Egypt, Saad Zaghlul, an Egyptian nationalist,
sought to end all British rule. Zaghlul made a appeal to Reginald Wingate, the High
Commissioner of Great Britain, to lift the protectorate and vacate Egypt. It was obvious
that the British had no intention of meeting any Egyptian nationalist demands, and the
protectorate over Egypt continued. Saad Zaghlul was arrested by British authorities for his
support of Egypt’s independence and was sent to Malta. In the days after Zagluls arrest,
chaos erupted in much of Egypt, and thousands of innocent citizens were killed by British
forces. For weeks, demonstrations by Egyptian citizens happened across the nation and
support continually rallied for independence. This civil disobedience, along with the cruel
acts perpetrated by Great Britain, set the stage for a revolution. Lord Allenby traveled to
Egypt as a “special ambassador" in an attempt to restore order. As a surprise everyone,
Allenby proclaimed Egypt’s independence from the British. Many changes came as a
result of Egypt’s new found independence, including new government officials and a new
constitution. Ironically, Saad Zaghlul, once exiled to Malta by British forces, was elected
as the first Prime Minister of Egypt in 1924. Although Egypt had a new constitution and
prime minister, Britain remained a presence in Egypt. Egypt adopted a parliamentary style
of government, which would lead to oppression and a totalitarian style of rule seen in later
years.
Egypt’s second revolution came in 1952 during the wake of World War II. Egypt’s
independence that they gained in 1919 had not panned out as planned, and a strong British
presence still remained after thirty years. One of the main factors leading up to the 1952
revolution were Soviet Union and United States governments were both opposed to any
British influence in Egypt, and viewed its government as an extension of Great Britain’s.
Both the United States and Soviet Union both helped propagate an image of Egypt’s
government as a corrupt entity of Great Britain. In the years leading up to 1952 a group
emerged called the Free Officers Movement, who was in support of abolishing the
Egyptian monarchy, which was ultimately a puppet of Great Britain. This group was made
up of young male army officials created by Colonel Gamal Abdel Nassar in 1948. The Free
Officers had the support of the U.S. and soviets. Muhammad Neguib delivered a message
some refer to as a “warning" to King Farouk, which presented explicitly the Free Officers
disgust with his actions, and their justifications for a revolution against him and his
regime. Several events occurred in the months and weeks leading up to the revolution,
which seemed to get everyone in support and created a general distaste for the current
Egyptian government and its officials. For example, British forces demolished fifty homes
of Egyptian citizens in an effort to create a route to transport water and supplies to British
compounds in Egypt. As a result of these heinous acts committed by the British, riots
broke out through Cairo and other parts of Egypt. January 26, 1952, is referred to as “black
Saturday" and as well as extreme rioting, many British owned businesses were destroyed.
Both United States and Soviet newspapers were seen endorsing these acts by Egyptians,
and this lead to even more public support of the Free Officers Group. King Farouk tried to
continue holding office even with the all of the political and civil unrest. British facilities
in Egypt were being burned, destroyed, and ransacked. Police officers were not stopping
people from this revolt against the British, and in most cases even cosseted the people
committing these acts. With no support from local Egyptian programs, like the police and
firemen, it was becoming increasingly harder for the corrupt government to remain in
power. On July 22, 1952, after much turmoil and chaos, the Free Officers Group carried
