Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2016
Abstract
In the Egyptian consciousness, there is a date that resonates in the nation’s memory as the official catalyst that led to the rise of modern Egypt: July 23, 1952. On this day, a military group called the Free Officers rose up and seized control of Egypt from the monarchs and British colonizers in a near bloodless coup d’état. The face of the Free Officers at the time of the coup was General Muhammad Naguib (1901 – 1984), but the brain and heart of the movement was the then colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918 – 1970). During the first three years after the coup, Naguib played his role of Egyptian President even though, it was clear to the public – Egyptian and foreign – that Nasser was the one who truly held power. Nasser finally came into the presidential title to match his presidential power when Naguib was removed from office in 1954 after being implicated as a conspirator of a failed assassination plot on Nasser. Shortly after Nasser took office, he penned his historic work, The Philosophy of the Revolution (1955). The book reads like a confessional of all that Nasser had done and all that he aspired to do in the name of making Egypt as strong as he knew it could be. He saw the Egyptian nation shaking away the yoke of western colonization and becoming a nation of strength and success. If Egypt could rise to become the ideal Arab nation, free of colonial influence, all other Arab nations would be moved to unite as well (as individual nations) and create a nationalistic pan-Arabism future. In all, Nasser did successfully sow the seeds for the illustrious Arab future he saw. He inspired Egyptians to work together to become a powerful nation and cultivated immense support for the pan-Arabism movement amongst the multi-national Arab public. Unfortunately, there was to be no fruition of Nasser’s goals because the nationalist ideology was simply too closely identified with Nasser’s image, rather than inherent within the government or a potential successor. When Nasser died on September 28, 1970, the Egyptian revolution – and much of the pan-Arabism revolution – died with him.
Recommended Citation
Jackson, Pria G., "Nasser of Egypt and the Egypt of Nasser" (2016). Undergraduate Research Awards, Hollins University. 31.
https://digitalcommons.hollins.edu/researchawards/31
Pria Jackson -- Research Award submission essay
Comments
Undergraduate Research Awards - 2016 Winner, First-year/Sophomore category.