March 1949: Israel is victorious in the Arab-Israeli War. Egypt blames Farouk I for their military struggles.

1949: The Freedom Officers are formed

Late 1951: General Mohammed Naguib runs for president of the Officers’ Club in Cairo 

1952: Naguib wins the slot of President of the Officers’ Club, Farouk I suspects a clandestine rebellion.

July 23, 1952: The Freedom Officers orchestrate a successful military coup and overthrow Farouk I operating as part of the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC)

July 26, 1952: King Farouk I abdicates the throne. His infant son, Ahmed Fuad I, is made king under a regency council.

1953: The RCC is disbanded.

June 18, 1953: The monarchy of Egypt is dissolved. Naguib becomes the first president of Egypt, which is now a republic. Farouk I and his family sail into exile to the island of Capri.

February 25, 1954: Naguib abandons his post after his demands of autocracy are refused, Gamal Abdel Nasser takes over as prime minister until another presidential election can be held.

1954: The British finally end their occupation of Egypt which began in 1882.

June 23, 1956: Nasser becomes the second president of Egypt.

1965: Former King Farouk I dies in exile in Capri, Italy.

1970: Nasser dies in office of a heart attack.

"Egypt Profile - Timeline." BBC News. April 04, 2018. Accessed May 27, 2018. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13315719.

"Military Seizes Power in Egypt." History.com. Accessed April 12, 2018. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/military-seizes-power-in-egypt.

 "Naguib Quits in Cairo Row." The New York Times. Accessed May 24, 2018. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1954/02/25/92544483.html?pageNumber=1.

Nasser, Gamal Abdel. The Egyptian Revolution. New York: Council on Foreign Relations, 1955.

"POTENTIAL REVOLT SIMMERS IN EGYPT; Country Is Seen Heading for Trouble Unless Necessary Reforms Are Made." The New York Times. Accessed May 27, 2018. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1950/11/12/94080451.html?pageNumber=40.

"Remembering the 1952 Egyptian Revolution." Middle East Monitor. July 23, 2017. Accessed April 12, 2018. https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170723-remembering-the-1952-egyptian-revolution/.

 Report, Staff. "Timeline: Egypt's 1952 Revolution." GulfNews. July 23, 2013. Accessed May 27, 2018. https://gulfnews.com/news/mena/egypt/timeline-egypt-s-1952-revolution-1.1212373.

Sadat, Anwar. Revolt on the Nile. J. Day Company, 1957.

"The Abdication of King Farouk." History Today. Accessed May 24, 2018. https://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/abdication-king-farouk.

 The Egyptian Revolution of 1952, also known as the July 23 Revolution, was crucial to the development of Egypt as a modern country. With the overthrowing of King Farouk, it signaled the the end of a long lasting monarchy and the beginning of a president-led democracy. This conflict also eventually led to the start of the popular reign of Gamal Abdel Nasser, a productive president who accomplished much for Egypt. The Egyptian Revolution of 1952 pushed the country forward into a shining new modern era free from the yoke of monarchy.

 The revolution was caused by many problems in the fractured monarchy of King Farouk I (r.1936-1953), causing unrest in the nation. Farouk I was an ineffective and lazy king who did not strike a chord with Egyptians immediately following his initiation as monarch. His widely unpopular monarchy and style of ruling led to a disappointing outcome of the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, in which Egypt lost. During the course of this year long war, the newly formed Israel staved off its attacking neighbors, causing Egypt, one of these bordering countries, to suffer an embarrassing loss by Israel, the clear underdog in this conflict. As a result of this underwhelming turnout of the war, many Egyptians felt bitter resentment towards their monarch, whom they accused of deserting them during the course of the war. This hatred by the Egyptian troops toward their leader was so bitter that some believed the king selfishly spent money on himself while supplying the army with faulty guns. These somewhat justified negative views centered towards King Farouk I stirred unrest in Egypt. The unpopularity of Farouk contributed to the causes of the revolution coming to fruition. Another significant reason that got the revolution underway was the British presence in Egypt. In 1882, England conquered Egypt and in 1914, it was made into Britain’s protectorate. Fuad I restored independence to Egypt in 1922, but the country was still heavily influenced by the British to the dismay of most citizens. Therefore, the presence of England in Egypt additionally contributed to the revolution.  As a result of these factors, in the year 1949, a group of high ranking military officials grew tired of the king’s regime. They vowed to form a group that ultimately would overthrow both Farouk and the pro-British rule that was tied to him. Branding themselves the Free Officers, they began to secretly put a plan in motion that would eventually cause Farouk’s undoing. In 1952, the Officers’ Club, an organization which essentially controlled the Egyptian military was having reelections. The Free Officers saw this as an opportunity to seize power, and effectively placed a prominent Officer, General Mohammed Naguib, as club president. Farouk I suspected a secret rebellion based on the results of the election, forcing the Free Officers to act quickly before their plans would become public. Therefore, on July 23, 1952, the Free Officers, operating under the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), orchestrated a successful bloodless military coup that overthrew Farouk I and his pro-British monarchy. The frantic Farouk I was forced to abdicate, and appointed his infant son, Ahmed Fuad II (r.1952-1953) as king, but in actuality, a regency council appointed by the former king ruled Egypt. The swift actions of the Freedom Officers and the RCC led to the overthrowing of Farouk I.

 The constantly shifting post coup government was a key factor to the events that would lead to the Nasser era in Egypt. In 1953, the RCC was disbanded, the regency council was dissolved, Ahmed Fuad II was dethroned, and Mohammed Naguib, the head of the military rebellion, was appointed by the Freedom Officers as Egypt’s first president, officially making it a republic. The government then operated under a pro-Arab, anti-imperialist, and anti-aristocracy policy. On February 25, 1954, Naguib shockingly resigned when his demands for complete autocracy were spurned by the government. His negotiations with the Freedom Officers went sour and therefore caused him to leave office, although it was temporarily. This gap was filled by Lieutenant Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser, another major figure in the revolution, who assumed the title of Prime Minister of Egypt in this interim period. Naguib was soon thrust back into office after the masses rallied for his return to his former post. Shortly afterwards, the now powerful Nasser orchestrated the removal and arrest of Naguib. Nasser could not declare himself the president of Egypt until 1956, when he won the election that would place him at the forefront of the government until his abrupt death in 1970, caused by a heart attack. General Naguib was the puppet ruler of the revolution who was replaced by the real driving force behind it, Nasser.

 Nasser’s ideology both influenced the military coup of 1952 and was essential in his role as president. Gamal Abdel Nasser writes about his ideology in length in a document he wrote in 1955, shortly before he would become president of Egypt. He notes his frustrations before the coup took place, stating that the Middle-East had been following “a negative policy” for the past couple of years and has been controlled by British rulers, corrupt monarchs and feudal overlords who only cared about themselves rather than the country they were in command of. Nasser expresses this idea in the passage, taking a subtle jab at Farouk I’s leadership, explaining, “It is admitted that a man's duty corresponds to a right for another. The governor, then, is subject to rights and duties. His failure in fulfilling his duties - which are rights from the standpoint of the people - entails resistance on the part of the nation to secure these rights.” This stance taken by Gamal Abdel Nasser proved to be popular, both before and after the revolution. In the quote above, he is subtly bashing Farouk I’s rule, criticizing his inability to provide rights to the people. Therefore, he believes it was necessary to secure these rights by another measure, revolution. Nasser also expresses an idea of improving agriculture, energy, and living conditions in Egypt in the document, to show to the Egyptian public that his reign will not resemble that of Farouk I in any way. Life under the former monarch was harsh and unpleasant. As Nasser references in his writing, Britain, who had ruled Egypt since 1882 had an unpopular influence on it, and they did not officially surrender control of it until 1954, shortly after the July Revolution. There was mass poverty under his corrupt administration, and no change in drastic economic problems experienced by the majority of Egypt occured. The idea of ‘rights and duties’ that Nasser advocated for made him a national hero and propelled the Freedom Officers to success.

 Anouar Abdel Malek explains how Nasser’s philosophy ran out of steam in the post-revolution era. He notes in his article that while Gamal Abdel Nasser’s rationale gained him popularity at first, some of his policies became unpopular after the coup. As Malek notes, “The regime is trying to accelerate the rate of economic growth, but for this it needs an organized popular support which at present does not exist.” This quote shows how Nasser’s ambition could potentially work against him. During the revolution, it clearly helped him and the Freedom Officers, causing them to dissolve the corrupt pro-British monarchy dating back to Muhammad Ali. On the other hand, Malek is explaining that his pro-Egypt policy of socialist economic expansion could not be performed without organized public approval. The land of Egypt was too small and the birth rate was too high for Nasser’s plan to work without gaining the consent of major parties within the country. As Malek puts it, “There can be no socialism without socialists.” Anouar Abdel Malek’s article shows that Nasserism was double faceted.

 Anwar el Sadat explains how Gamal Abdel Nasser’s positive mindset was a major driving force in the victory of the Freedom Officers in liberating Egypt from the rule of Farouk I. He explains that Nasser’s cool and collected stance ensured that the revolution would go smoothly. Sadat says of Nasser that he “is not a man to be led astray by dreams… he never tackles a problem without first examining all the circumstances.” This non-impulsive reaction by Nasser, one of the spearheaders of the revolt to Farouk I’s suspicion of possible rebellion in the dawn of the revolution may have caused it to be carried out without a hitch and as the Freedom Officers bragged about, a bloodless, efficient coup. Nasser then proceeded to work tirelessly fine tuning the plan for the eventual revolution.  He proceeded to create an intricate five faceted administrative system which contained economic affairs, combat personnel, security, terrorism, and propaganda. This detailed agenda could not possibly have been arranged so close to the revolution, as it needed to be planned immediately after the 1952 elections to the Officers’ Club so that Farouk I would not have enough time to react to this oncoming threat. This is therefore a testament to Nasser’s patience and organization regarding the revolution. Gamal Abdel Nasser’s traits of calmness under pressure and organization proved to be a major driving force in the revolution, as noted by Anwar el Sadat.

Gamal Abdel Nasser’s ideology essentially paved the way for the July 23 Revolution to occur, but also led to serious repercussions for him. Nasser’s document shows the benefit his ideology gave to the Egyptian people and how it was crucial in the July revolution. Anouar Abdel Malek’s article contrasts this view and shows how Nasser’s economic over ambition worked against him.  Although Nasser’s beliefs had mixed reviews throughout his reign, his ability to essentially orchestrate the revolution itself led Egypt out of a pro-British Monarchy and into an age of a new republic, as shown by Anwar el Sadat’s source. Although Gamal Abdel Nasser’s policies and philosophy were undoubtedly complicated and controversial, they helped Egypt in countless ways to push it into the modern era.