Nasser
Overview
Nasser comes to power
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1948 Egypt loses in Palestine War —> people want change (government)
1952 Nasser and Anwar al-Sadat lead a government coup
Nasser's goals for Egypt are independence, social justice, and better standard of living for the
middle classes, who he often sympathized with
1956 Nasser becomes official president
Government policies
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1952 Land reform: limited the land one person could own to 200 acres, redistribution of land
to peasants
1955 Czech arms deal brought Egypt Soviet weapons, strengthened military
1956 A new constitution was written: stronger presidential system
Tries to alleviate poverty/improve education
Fuding for Aswan Dam provided by Bristish and U.S, but it gets taken away and so he
nationalizes the Suez Canal.
Suez war begins, but the U.S won't let Egypt be attacked, so it defends the country, making
Nasser look like a hero to the Egyptians
1958 Egypt forms the United Arab republic with Syria
Nasser focuses on the idea of Arab Socialism: a populist ideology involving the
nationalization of the majority of the economy
Nasser's Downfall
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United Arab Republic breaks up
The economy is in a slump
Nasser resigns in 1970
Nasser - Rise to Power
Free Officers Movement
1) Nasser joined Free Officers in 1942. The movement rose out of frustration for the failure of
current leaders (King Farouk and government of Egypt) to address British influence over Egypt.
a) Its success came from the combination of secrecy and widespread links across the army and
other civilian movements: cells of five men known only to each other were established in all
major parts of the army, and only Abdel Hakim Amer and Nasser knew the full extent of the
network.
2) By the end of 1952 the Free Officers Movement had 1000 members.
a) The Free Officers had greater familiarity with the ordinary soldiers when compared to the
older, senior, pro-Royalist officers. This facilitated the Free Officer’s success.
3) The Free Officers distributed nationalist leaflets appearing from 1949.
4) In January 1952 the Free Officers succeeded in getting their candidate elected in the Officer’s
Club. This was a clear challenge to the senior and royalist officers. This was resented by the King
because he saw the Army as his main opposition, and their victory confirmed the King’s growing
unpopularity.
5) In January 1952, violent demonstrations reached a climax when British troops killed 50 Egyptian
officers and policemen after skirmishes between the British and Egyptians in Ismailia. The next
day (“Black Saturday”) saw massive public protests and violence in Cairo.
a) Public unrest was rampant, and anti-British feelings resulted in frequent guerrilla attacks on
British troops. The Egyptian government was unable and unwilling to repress the anti-British
anger of the masses, and this resulted in numerous shifts in government control.
b) In the six following months there were four different governments. The weakness of the
government was apparent.
c) Events of ‘Black Saturday’ drove Nasser to decide that he must act soon. The fury of the
people against British and the unwillingness of the government to intervene drove Nasser to
conclude that he must act soon.
6) Nasser used General Mohammad Naguib as the face of the Free Officers Movement.
a) He was well known and had widespread support among the population, and served as a
better public figurehead because the other leaders of the Movement were young men in
their early thirties.
7) The Free Officers conducted a coup on July 22 1953. King Farouk was removed in favour of his
youngest son, but in reality the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), composed of members of
the Free Officers’ Movement, was in charge.
a) Nasser’s coup was known to the Americans before it was carried out, and this information
was relayed to the British.
i) The British would not intervene in a highly organized coup, just as it had not to save the
lives of British civilians on ‘Black Saturday’.
b) General Neguib was made prime minister in September 1952.
Power Struggle
1) A power struggle between Neguib and Nasser was apparent following Neguib’s resignation in
February 1953. Eventually a compromise was reached and Naguib would return as president
while Nasser would be prime minister and head of the RCC.
a) This was a tactical withdrawal for Nasser. He did this to quell the deep divisions in the armed
forces. Also from this position, Nasser could undermine subtly Naguib more effectively
2) In March 1954 Nasser resigned from his posts as prime minister and head of the RCC and also
compelled the RCC to vote in favour of elections.
a) This gave the appearance of democracy and a return to the old system of ineffective party
rule in Egypt, which the 1952 coup was held against in the first place.
b) This resulted public protest in favour of maintaining the revolution.
3) In April 1954 Neguib resigned once again. He admitted he was “outmanoeuvred by Abdul Nasser
and my junior colleagues.” Neguib 1955.
a) Nasser skilfully and effectively outmanoeuvred Neguib. Now he was triumphant both within
and outside the army.
4) An attempt on Nasser’s life was made in Octobers 1954 by Mahmud Abdul Latif, a member of the
Muslim Brotherhood.
a) Nasser used this as an opportunity to purge the Muslim Brotherhood, and eventually dissolve
it. Initially as many as 700 of the Brotherhood were rounded up and imprisoned. Prison
camps contained them and the Muslim Brotherhood was dissolved.
5) The RCC appoints Nasser as Prime Minister in January 1955.
Quotes
1) Nasser comments on the 1952 coup: “Thus it was not the Army…that determined the role it was
to play in the course of events. The reverse was nearer the truth.” 1972
a) The rapid decay of the political system and growing unpopularity of the King after the defeat
in Palestine facilitated the success of the 1952 coup.
2) General Neguib comments on the 1952 coup: “Our military movement has nothing to do with
politics." July 1952
3) On the day of his assassination attempt by Latif, Nasser shouts: “Let them kill Nasser. He is one
among many and whether he lives or dies the revolution will go on.”
Historiography
1. Robert St. John, The Boss: The Story of Gamal Abdel Nasser, 1960. “It was a calculated risk,
and Gamal Abdel Nasser violated all his own principles and ignored all his own theories by taking
it.”
2. Peter Woodward, Nasser, 1992. “…the ruthless manoeuvring and organisational skills of
Nasser” ensured his victory over Neguib.
3. Robert Stephens, Nasser: a Political Biography, 1971. Nasser was “not so much a soldier
who went into politics as a politician who went into the army.”
Timeline
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1918- Born in Alexandria
1942- Egypt becomes a Protectorate
1948- War against Israel
1952- Revolt organized by Nasser and Anwar al-Sadat against Faruq
o Beginning of Land Reform
1954- Neguib “resigned” from military and Nasser succeeded him PM
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o Assassination attempt by Muslim Brotherhood, stricter policies
1956- Nationalized Suez Canal in Suez Crisis gaining respect
1- Declares self president
1957- End of land reform
1967- Six Day War
1970- Died
Rise of Nasser Conditions leading to Coup
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Defeat of the 1948-49 Arab-Israeli War
Frustration with government, especially King Farouk
Younger officers believe government is incompetent
Corrupt Government
Disenfranchised constituency
Poor conditions
Two opposition groups emerged
First was Muslim Brothers and a Pan-Islamic group
Results of Military Coup
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Modern Egypt emerged in 1952 from military coup: Egyptian Revolution, brought down King
Farouk, put in military regime
New rulers rallying around strong nationalism
series of reform to modernize Egypt
Challenged West and affirmed Egypt’s independence internationally
“the embodiment of what the Arab world wanted to be: assertive, independent and engaged in
the construction of a new society freed from the imperial past and oriented towards a bright
Arab future” (William Cleveland)
Deposed King
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July 1952, the airport headquarters, the airport and communication centers were seized by the
Free Officers (FO)
King Farouk’s government was replaced with the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC)
King sent into exile where he remained until his death; Nasser prevented execution
The New Regime
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led by the military and the FO
organizational skills
military discipline
authority
respected nation
new government represented both the ordinary and privileged
Nasser’s Appeal
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originated from rural poor
symbolized the new Egypt
spoke their language
understood their plight
Nasser Aimed to Address
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1) Poverty in Egypt 2) Ignorance in Egypt 3) Neglect of Egypt’s infrastructure 4)No sense of
national identity or pride in Egypt.
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Ideology- “it is the government that looks on all Egyptians as one big family.”
Supporters- USSR, Free Officers, People
Election
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Revolutionary Command Council of 11 officers controlled by Nasser, with Major General
Muḥammad Naguib as the puppet head of state.
Declared self PM
Deposed Neguib, became President
Justifications for Take-Over
Humiliation of Arab Nations
Key Justifications
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military nationalized industrial functions
private sector developing slowly
Government Ideologies
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End Imperialism and Colonialism
Arab Nationalism
National Religion
Modernization
1956 New Constitution
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Arab Socialist Union representing people of Egypt, elections did not take place
New regime “redistribute the wealth”
Nasser transformed the military coup into a revolution, named the National Charter
Nationalism was synonymous with revolution because it could bring social justice to Egypt
Rule of Nasser Maintenance of Power
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Nassir put Naguib under house arrest
Purged all supporters of Naguib
He controlled the public eye through the media
Kept many of his promises to improve the country, including free education for all.
Army, Police, and Special Forces/Tactics
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Modernization of Military
Muslim Brotherhood and the Communist Party were severely repressed, after attempt of
assassination of Nasser six of Muslim Brotherhood leaders executed and members imprisoned
1957 intelligence service the Mukhaberat was set up and its job was to keep a strict watch on the
people
Naguib Under House Arrest
Brutality and Murder of Opposition
How Were Policies Enforced?
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Nasser made Egypt a police state, in which mail was opened, the communications media were
strictly censored, the chief newspapers were nationalized, telephones were tapped, and visitors’
rooms were searched. Political democracy, in the Western, sense was nonexistent. One-party
candidates for office were handpicked by Nasser and his close associates.
Muslim Brotherhood and the Communist Party were severely repressed, after attempt of
assassination of Nasser six of Muslim Brotherhood leaders executed and members imprisoned
Role of Personal Charisma
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1942-1948 instructor in the Egyptian Army Staff College.
Used influence to persuade young officers in the Egyptian Army that
o interference was unacceptable
o that all vestiges of British rule/influence had to be removed from Egypt
Mother’s death lead to certain characteristics
His revolutionary speeches
o Lasted hours
o Lead the people into “rapturous Joy”, as A.F. Madsen put it
o People forgot their worries while listening to him
Nasser demonstrated more subtle characteristics of leadership
Able to utilize basic Islamic and Arab concepts of “ijma” and “shura”, or consensus and
consultation, to unify public sentiment in favor of his positions on important issues.
He had become a messiah, who project the image of a savior of his people; he relied on
“futuwwat”, an early form of Arab justice embodying the appearance of arrogance and power.
He mingled religion with politics in a shameless manner, encouraging such slogans such as “There
is no God but Allah, and Nasser is the beloved of Allah.” He manipulated the emotions of his
people, all the while shoring up his political base within the Free Officer Group, now poised to
overthrow the existing regime.
Propaganda and Public Opinion
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Role of Propaganda and Public Opinion
1949 FO distributed nationalist Leaflet
Nasser used Naguib as the face of the FO Movement
Army supported Naguib, people supported Nasser
Social Politics
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Social Policies- Education, art, and media and policy motivations
End privileges, build popular support amongst poor
o ‘Old Way’ Privileges
o Civilian Titles Associated with Royal Family
Socialist
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Nasser believed that with urbanization, rising income and literacy, the birth rate would fall and
the revitalized agricultural sector would feed a stable population
Ethnic Groups, Women, Religious Groups
Raised living standard
Increase in pension spending, social services, and benefits
Economic Policies
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Nationalization of corporations to generate wealth
Construction of iron and steel mills, aluminum plants, car and food factories totalling over 2000
Aswan High Dam preventing flooding and providing electricity
Land Reform
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Agrarian Reform Act - farmers better life, fairer distribution of land
More opportunity
Transference of resources from agriculture to industry
keeping social peace
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Labor Laws, raise in minimum wage, reduction in working hours
Police State
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Media and Communications censored
Newspapers nationalized
Telephones Tapped
Handpicked officials
Impact and Legacy In spite of his willingness to resign and his apparent sense of genuine sorrow
over the loss of the 1967 War, Nasser was generally seen as a "leader" because of his ability to
mix sarcasm and inflated rhetoric with a false sense of generosity. Although his schemes were
noble and well-intentioned, they failed over a period of time because of his ego-centric
impression that Egypt alone was the "Citadel of Arabism." Even when his people suffered from
spiritual and material problems, Nasser promised his nation "salvation" and "dignity". He
attacked the intellectuals who could have provided an answer to the country's problems, making
fun of them publicly. His subordinates were subjected to his all-powerful will and only he was
"sovereign."
Alienated most of his own army
This leader’s qualities were predicted on secrecy, self-control and an ability to conceal his true
intentions. He alone would make the final decisions, which were absolute. His presidency was
ruled with manipulation.
In spite of all the negative qualities which Nasser can be described as, many Egyptians were able
to see favorable aspects of his character, such as a sense of faith, conviction, appeal and vision.
He provided for his people, and their nation, a distinct image of their destiny in a troubled world
Describing Gamal Abdel Nasser in a professional sense can be looked through the perspective of
Fred E. Fielder, who makes the distinction between simply a “leader” and a “good leader”; this
falls into two categories: “These are the critical, directive, autocratic, task-oriented versus the
democratic, permissive, considerate, person-oriented type of leadership."
He was a “directive, autocratic” personality, most of the time, but had moments of romantic,
person-oriented types as well.
Tasks accomplished under Nasser’s leadership may prove hard to quantify. He succeeded with
the Aswan Dam and contributed to Independence Movements throughout the Middle East and
Africa; he failed with the 1967 War; but triumphed over the British in the Suez Crisis. On balance,
Nasser was a strong willed, admired and respected leader of his people from within Egypt, but
left a mixed performance record in the eyes of the world.