Gamal Abdel Nasser
| Famous as | Political Leader of Egypt |
| Born on | 15 January 1918 |
| Born in | Asyout, Egypt |
| Died on | 28 September 1970 |
| Nationality | Egypt |
Childhood
Gamal Abdel Nasser was born on January 15, 1918 in the Egyptian
city of Banny Mur, southern Egypt. His father was a clerk in the local
post office. When he was eight years old Nasser's mother, Fahima Hamad,
passed away. His early education took place at Banny Mur's Quranic
School and then at Ras el Tin school in Alexandria. Nasser also spent 10
years in Cairo, the capital of Egypt until he received his high school
diploma from “Nahda” school in 1937.
Nasser had started participating in political demonstrations while
he was a young boy. At his first demonstration, he was reportedly struck
in the face by a police baton and detained for two days. In March 1937,
Nasser was sent to the Military Academy of Egypt where he concentrated
more on the studies to become an army officer. During his training at
the Military College, Nasser met Abdel Hakim Amer and Anwar Sadat and
developed friendship. After the completion of his training, Nasser was
posted in Mankabad town.
Formation of “Free Officers”
In 1939, days before the outbreak of Second World War, Nasser was
posted in Sudan. Since Egypt did not participate in the Second World
War, the military had no role to play in that. During the war, Nasser
with the help of Italians plotted to stage a coup. The plan was never
executed, but it gave Nasser the confidence to continue plotting a
revolution. Few days later, Nasser and one of his close associates,
Anwar Sadat began forming an organization of young military officers
with strong Egyptian nationalist feelings.
It was during the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, when Nasser received
his first opportunity to participate in the battle. Nasser, showing an
extra-ordinary skill of organizing
troops and tackling with the strategies of opponents, acquired the area
of Al- Faluja. Al-Faluja was an Arab village in the British Mandate
Palestine, located 30 kilometers northeast of Gaza City. For his valiant
efforts in the war, Nasser was promoted to the post of an instructor in
the Royal Military Academy. This was the period; he intensified the search for
brave military officers, desperately waiting to participate in
reformation movement. In 1949, he finally succeeded to form such
reformation group. The organization came to be known as “Free Officers”.
Coup D'etat
On 23 July 1952, the personnel of “Free Officers” seized control of
all government buildings, media organizations and the army
headquarters. The revolution was aimed at overthrowing King Farouk-I and
establishment of a republic government. The coup, succeeded virtually
without bloodshed. Nasser installed General Muhammad Naguib, who played a
crucial role in the coup, as President. The organization appointed Ali
Maher, a long-time political leader, as Prime Minister. His task would
be to carry out the day-to-day administration of the country. But, Maher
could not continue as Prime Minister for long. On September 7, 1952, he
was forced to step-down after he refused to support agrarian reform
laws. Within few days, Naguib was appointed as the new Prime Minister
with full leadership.
Nasser as Prime Minister
In June 1953, Naguib proclaimed the official abolition of the
Egyptian monarchy and establishment of the Republic of Egypt. He soon
got hold of the office of the President. Naguib’s activities as an
autocrat developed resentment in the Council. The situation
deteriorated, so the relationship between Naguib and Nasser. The
differences culminated and Naguib was forced to resign from his posts as
both President and Prime Minister. The Revolutionary Command Council
(earlier, Free Officers) declared Nasser as Prime Minister. Fearing the
chances of Naguib’s return to politics, the Council placed him under
house arrest
The proceeding of Revolutionary Command Council to overthrow Naguib
was viewed by common people as illegal and unacceptable. People from
around the country began to stage demonstration against the Council.
Though initially, the Council did not react at the uprising but feeling
the heat outside for the support of Naguib, the Council finally assured
to address their concern.
This event created further trouble in the party with a group of
leaders refused to accept Naguib’s return. After several sessions of
discussions and negotiations the Council agreed to reinstate Naguib. Few
days after Naguib’s reinstatement as President, the virtual faction of
the Council led by Naguib pulled Nasser down from the chair of Prime
Minister.
Return to Power
After he was shown the door of the political fort, Nasser kept himself engaged in organizing
the “anti-Naguib elements”. On October 26, 1954, Nasser, while speaking
at a rally, fortunately survived an assassination bid. Nasser accused
Naguib of establishing contacts with British military and Brotherhood.
He also made people believe that the attempt to kill him was, in fact
plotted by Naguib. This created a huge uproar among the people against
Naguib and his men in the Council. In October 1954, taking advantage of
the situation, Nasser formally removed Naguib from power and proclaimed
himself as the leader of Egypt.
The new Charter
On January 16, 1955, the government announced a new charter to
establish republic and constitutional government. The new charter
included provision for more powers to the chair of the President of the
country. It also stated that the chief executive would be elected for a
period of six years and may be re-elected. The form of “Plebiscite”
would be followed in the election of the President. Besides, the
President would also enjoy the right to dissolve the Assembly anytime
and approve and veto new laws.
The most important amendment was brought by dissolving the old political parties. He also imposed a ban on the formation of a new party. In other words, it would be a single-party
democracy. It declares Egypt to be a sovereign Arab state with Islam as
its religion and Arabic as the official language of the country.
Later, another shocking change was made in 1956, when the Minister
of the Interior was given the power for a 10-year period to arrest
anybody charged with counter-revolutionary activity and to order his
confinement at administrative discretion. Though the rights of free
speech and free press were guaranteed under the new charter most of the
Egyptian publications continued to be controlled by the government.
On June 24, 1954, a plebiscite was held to ratify the new constitution
and was overwhelmingly approved. Nasser also included some of the
prominent civilians into his cabinet.
Suez Crisis
A major breakthrough Egypt received in 1954 was the removal of
British Army personnel from the “Suez Canal Zone”. It happened after
Nasser signed a treaty with the British government. The agreement not
only scripted the end of the prolonged tensions between Egypt and
Britain but also brought it closer to Britain and the United States of
America. Egypt was offered an economic aid of $40 million from them. The
United States also promised fifty-six million dollars, along with
two-hundred million dollars through the World Bank, to aid in financing
the construction of the Aswan High Dam on the river Nile. The support
and assistance from the USA was meant only to prevent Egypt from looking
at the Eastern Blocs. But, it failed as Egypt, surprising the US and
other western allies, signed the arms-treaty with Czechoslovakia, which
was a part of the Soviet led Eastern Bloc. Consequently, all the aids
and support, earlier promised by the US were immediately cancelled.
Reacting to the situation, Egypt, On July 26, announced the
decision of nationalizing the Suez Canal. The proclamation provoked a
strong response from the West, particularly Britain and France, which
had major shareholdings of the Suez Canal. The tension continued.
Soviet, adding fuel to the fire, announced its support to Egypt. In an
attempt to solve the crisis, United Nations Security Council, in
October, adopted a resolution by recognizing Egypt’s right to control
the canal as long as it continued to allow passage through it for
foreign ships.
The United Nation’s resolution annoyed both France and Britain as
they lost the situation and subsequently control over Suez Canal. They
both secretly drafted a plan to get back the authority over the canal.
To execute their plan, France and Britain approached Israel, asking them
to invade the Sinai Peninsula, near the Suez. And, on the pretext of
protecting the canal, combined forces of France and Britain would
capture the region. The reason for Israel to support was to take revenge
of the attack on them by Egyptian sponsored terrorist.
The plan was properly executed. No other country except the trio
had any idea about such plan and motive. On October 29, Israeli forces
moved into the Sinai Peninsula, and on October 31, a joint force from
Britain and France entered into the Canal Zone. Now the plan was not
secret anymore. Intelligence sources of the US and USSR confirmed about
the plan.
The Premiers of both America and Soviet Union urged the three
nations to withdraw their troops. On November 5, 1956, the Soviet Union
also issued an ultimatum to the involved-countries demanding for an
immediate withdrawal of forces from Egypt. The US threatened Britain of
curtailing it economic assistance if it did not comply. The three
forces, gradually started removing their troops and the United Nations
Emergency Force was deployed. The situation became to be known as the
Suez Crisis.
The end of Suez Crisis saw the emergence of Gamal Abdel Nasser as
the powerful and popular leader of the Arab world. Nasser represented a
new, defiant era in Arabic politics. His popularity attracted the other
Arab leaders together and started building an Arab state to confront the
imperialist-forces of the West. The leadership in almost all the
Arabian countries began to see the Western countries as their enemy and
pledged to retaliate aggressively.
The first step towards the establishment of Pan Arab state was
taken in 1958 when Syrian leaders requested Nasser for a merger of Syria
and Egypt. The merger led to formation of the United Arab Republic.
However, the dream of Pan Arab state did not last longer. In Syria,
Egyptian bureaucrats and officers started acting dictatorially and
repressed the opposition parties. The discontent among the Syrian
bourgeoisie and officer corps led to secessionists and in 1961, the
United Arab Republic was formally dissolved.
Six Day War
In June, 1967, following the plans of Israel to attack Syria broke
out, Nasser sought for the equipments for war in the Sinai peninsula. He
also asked the United Nations to withdraw its Emergency Force from
Sinai. On May 23, Nasser closed the Straits of Tiran, through which
Israel had gained access to Israeli shipping. The Israeli port of Eilat
at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba was also blocked. It was
Israel's only access to the Indian Ocean.
Responding strongly to the closing of the Straits, Israel launched
its aerial attack on the Egyptian troops. This was the beginning of the
Six Day War. The first phase of aerial attacks by the Israeli air force
was so severe that it destroyed most of the Egyptian air forces on the
ground. Egypt with no delay issued an order asking the troops to come
back.
The decision brought more disaster for the Egyptian troops as the
Israeli forces continued their attack even if there was no retaliation
from Egypt. The loss in the Six Day War was one of the most disastrous
political blows in Egyptian history and a humiliation to the leaders and
people of Egypt.
Death
On September 28, 1970 Gamal Abdel Nasser died of a heart attack. It
was believed that the humiliation of six day war and death of such a
huge number of soldiers in the war made him weak. Nasser was loved by
most of his countrymen and his popularity can be realized with the fact
that around seven million people gathered at the funeral ceremony of
Nasser.
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Timeline: | ||||
1918: January 15: Birth of Gamal Abdel Nasser
1926: Nasser’s mother, Fahima Hammad passed away
1937: Completed high school diploma from Nahda School
1937: Admitted to Military College, Cairo
1939: Outbreak of Second World War
1948: Conflict between Arab and Israel
1949 Nasser formed reformation group
1952: Military coup in Egypt
1952: Nasser formed the government with Naquib as President
1952: October, 07: Ali Maher resigned form the chair of Prime Minister.
1953: Naguib announces end of constitutional monarchy
1954: Nasser survived assassination bid
1954: Nasser removed Naguib
1954: Nasser signed treaty with Britain over the Suez Canal
1955 January 16: Nasser led government announced new charter
1958: Merger of Syria with Egypt
1967: Six day war leading to Egypt’s defeat
1970 September 28: Death of Nasser
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