Free Officers Movement
Encyclopedia
In Egypt
, the clandestine revolutionary Free Officers Movement
was composed of young junior army officers committed to unseating the Egyptian monarchy
and its British advisors. It was founded by Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser
in the aftermath of Egypt's defeat in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
.
, affected economies around the globe including those in the Middle East
. Stereotypes surrounding modernity and progress centralized issues which became apparent in the post world Middle East. During this time, the activities of the Great Powers in the Middle East, specifically the removal of economic development institutions after some positive advancement became evident, encouraged many political groups to organize against the politicians who dominated the parliamentary politics of the time. Workers had become accustomed to development efforts which were meant to stabilize the economy of the region. The state led initiatives set the standard for what the people expected of their government including the regulation of imports, industrial investment, and commodity distribution and production supervision.
Politicians and government bodies were forced to respond to the demands of groups who were directly affected by the initiative changes and withdrawals. Some of these groups included military officers. While the first military coups began its mission in Syria
in the late 1940s, it was the Free Officers coup in Egypt
and the revolution of 1952 that would have the greatest impact and encourage later movements. The members were not of the wealthy elite, but rather the middle class, young workers, government officials and junior officers. The movement, which began and spread throughout the 1940’s, came to fruition with the help and leadership of Gamal Abdel Nasser
. Nasser formed a coordinating committee (1949), of which he was acclaimed head (1950). He was respected by the party and its followers. Coming from a modest background he signified the groups majority; the hard working middle class. The Free Officers consisted of urban dwellers and educated militants with a lower middle class upbringing. He was a war hero who rose quickly in military rank to colonel. He like many others dedicated his time and energy to reverse the corruption and sleaze seen on the part of the government throughout the 1948 Palestine war by restoring a democracy. He saw the problem of domestic passive reaction to imperialism
as much a problem as imperialism itself. They strengthened a “new” middle class. Due to this dedication toward change, the Free Officers referred to their group and its entirety as simply a “movement.” Later however, it would become a revolution
.
The Free Officers Committee enlisted General Muhammad Naguib
as a public figurehead in preparation for the successful coup of July 23, 1952. The nine men who had constituted themselves as the Committee of the Free Officers Movement and led the 1952 Revolution were Lieutenant Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser
, Major Abdel Hakim Amer
, Lieutenant Colonel Anwar El-Sadat, Major Salah Salem
, Major Kamal el-Din Husayn, Major Hamdy Ebeid,Wing Commander Gamal Salem
, Squadron Leader Hassan Ibrahim, Major Khalid Mohieddin, and Wing Commander Abdel Latif Boghdadi. Major Hussein el-Shafei
and Lieutenant Colonel Zakaria Mohieddin
joined the committee later.
The continued agitation within Egypt as a result of British control led to a series of revolts where British military outposts were attacked. From 1950-52, workers in the Suez Canal
zone went on strike but were blockaded by British tanks. The government in Cairo warned nationalists not to interfere in public spaces that are associated with colonialism. Contrarily, attacks were made against the British and the elite Egyptians who worked with them. At this point, Egyptian nationalist groups were divided and unorganized. The military was the only area that still held some sort of organized mission, which led to the Free Officers Revolution in 1952. They publicized the need for reform and social justice; marched on Cairo
and forced King Farouq
to abdicate his throne. The Free Officers were significant in the initiation of Egyptian Independence from British military occupation and Egyptian nationalism.
) was brutally murdered. This coup was due to Nasser's anger over the formation of the Arab Federation
between Iraq
and Jordan
a few months earlier.
The leaders of the Syria
n Ba'ath Party used a similar group to overthrow the Nasser organized union between Egypt and Syria (see United Arab Republic
) in 1961. In Saudi Arabia
during the 1960s the Saudi Prince Talal used a similar idea, the Free Princes Movement in an unsuccessful effort to overthrow his country's conservative monarchy. He was exiled to Egypt as a result and was given asylum by Nasser.
Libya
n president Muammar al-Gaddafi
used a similar group to overthrow the Libyan King Idris in 1969.
The anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 led by the Free Officers is commemorated as Revolution Day, an annual public holiday in Egypt on 23 July.
The name was consciously assumed by the Free Officers and Civilians Movement
, led by Brigadier-General Najib al-Salihi who opposed Saddam Hussein.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, the clandestine revolutionary Free Officers Movement
was composed of young junior army officers committed to unseating the Egyptian monarchy
1952 Revolution
The Egyptian Revolution of 1952 , also known as the 23 July Revolution, began on 23 July 1952, with a military coup d'état by the Free Officers Movement, a group of army officers led by Muhammad Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser. The revolution was initially aimed at overthrowing King Farouk...
and its British advisors. It was founded by Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
in the aftermath of Egypt's defeat in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
.
Background
Economic challenges of the post WWI period, namely the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, affected economies around the globe including those in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. Stereotypes surrounding modernity and progress centralized issues which became apparent in the post world Middle East. During this time, the activities of the Great Powers in the Middle East, specifically the removal of economic development institutions after some positive advancement became evident, encouraged many political groups to organize against the politicians who dominated the parliamentary politics of the time. Workers had become accustomed to development efforts which were meant to stabilize the economy of the region. The state led initiatives set the standard for what the people expected of their government including the regulation of imports, industrial investment, and commodity distribution and production supervision.
Formation
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
in the late 1940s, it was the Free Officers coup in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and the revolution of 1952 that would have the greatest impact and encourage later movements. The members were not of the wealthy elite, but rather the middle class, young workers, government officials and junior officers. The movement, which began and spread throughout the 1940’s, came to fruition with the help and leadership of Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
. Nasser formed a coordinating committee (1949), of which he was acclaimed head (1950). He was respected by the party and its followers. Coming from a modest background he signified the groups majority; the hard working middle class. The Free Officers consisted of urban dwellers and educated militants with a lower middle class upbringing. He was a war hero who rose quickly in military rank to colonel. He like many others dedicated his time and energy to reverse the corruption and sleaze seen on the part of the government throughout the 1948 Palestine war by restoring a democracy. He saw the problem of domestic passive reaction to imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
as much a problem as imperialism itself. They strengthened a “new” middle class. Due to this dedication toward change, the Free Officers referred to their group and its entirety as simply a “movement.” Later however, it would become a revolution
Revolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
.
The Free Officers Committee enlisted General Muhammad Naguib
Muhammad Naguib
Muhammad Naguib was the first President of Egypt, serving from the declaration of the Republic on June 18, 1953 to November 14, 1954. Along with Gamal Abdel Nasser, he was the primary leader of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, which ended the rule of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty in Egypt and Sudan...
as a public figurehead in preparation for the successful coup of July 23, 1952. The nine men who had constituted themselves as the Committee of the Free Officers Movement and led the 1952 Revolution were Lieutenant Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
, Major Abdel Hakim Amer
Abdel Hakim Amer
Mohamed Abdel Hakim Amer was an Egyptian general and political leader. Born in Astal, Samallot, in the Al Minya Governorate in 1919, he served in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, took part in the 1952 Revolution and commanded the Egyptian Army in the Suez Crisis, the North Yemen Civil War and the...
, Lieutenant Colonel Anwar El-Sadat, Major Salah Salem
Salah Salem
Salah Salem was an Egyptian military officer and politician.-Education and military career:Salim was born in Sinkat, Sudan in 1920. He was raised, however, in the Hilmiyyat Jadida neighborhood of Cairo. There he was educated at the Ibrahimiyyeh School, and later, in 1938, he graduated from the...
, Major Kamal el-Din Husayn, Major Hamdy Ebeid,Wing Commander Gamal Salem
Gamal Salem
Gamal Salem was an Egyptian Air Force officer and political figure in the mid-20th century. He was part of the Free Officers Movement which carried out a coup d'état against King Farouk I and turned Egypt into a Republic.-Career:...
, Squadron Leader Hassan Ibrahim, Major Khalid Mohieddin, and Wing Commander Abdel Latif Boghdadi. Major Hussein el-Shafei
Hussein el-Shafei
Hussein Mahmoud Hassan el-Shafei, , also known as Hussein el-Shafei , was a member of Egypt's July, 1952 revolutionary leadership council and served as vice-president under two former Egyptian presidents, Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat...
and Lieutenant Colonel Zakaria Mohieddin
Zakaria Mohieddin
Zakaria Mohieddin was an Egyptian military officer, politician, Prime Minister of Egypt and head of the first Intelligence body in Egypt, the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate.-Overview:...
joined the committee later.
The continued agitation within Egypt as a result of British control led to a series of revolts where British military outposts were attacked. From 1950-52, workers in the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
zone went on strike but were blockaded by British tanks. The government in Cairo warned nationalists not to interfere in public spaces that are associated with colonialism. Contrarily, attacks were made against the British and the elite Egyptians who worked with them. At this point, Egyptian nationalist groups were divided and unorganized. The military was the only area that still held some sort of organized mission, which led to the Free Officers Revolution in 1952. They publicized the need for reform and social justice; marched on Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
and forced King Farouq
Farouk of Egypt
Farouk I of Egypt , was the tenth ruler from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1936....
to abdicate his throne. The Free Officers were significant in the initiation of Egyptian Independence from British military occupation and Egyptian nationalism.
Legacy
Similar movements were organized by other Arab politicians seeking to mimic Nasser's ascent. A faction of the Free Officers led a revolution in Iraq in 1958 in which King Faisal (cousin of King Hussein of JordanJordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
) was brutally murdered. This coup was due to Nasser's anger over the formation of the Arab Federation
Arab federation
Arab federation can mean:* Arab Federation, a confederation between Iraq and Jordan * Arab League, a regional organization of Arab States in the Middle East and North Africa....
between Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
a few months earlier.
The leaders of the Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n Ba'ath Party used a similar group to overthrow the Nasser organized union between Egypt and Syria (see United Arab Republic
United Arab Republic
The United Arab Republic , often abbreviated as the U.A.R., was a sovereign union between Egypt and Syria. The union began in 1958 and existed until 1961, when Syria seceded from the union. Egypt continued to be known officially as the "United Arab Republic" until 1971. The President was Gamal...
) in 1961. In Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
during the 1960s the Saudi Prince Talal used a similar idea, the Free Princes Movement in an unsuccessful effort to overthrow his country's conservative monarchy. He was exiled to Egypt as a result and was given asylum by Nasser.
Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
n president Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
used a similar group to overthrow the Libyan King Idris in 1969.
The anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 led by the Free Officers is commemorated as Revolution Day, an annual public holiday in Egypt on 23 July.
The name was consciously assumed by the Free Officers and Civilians Movement
Free Officers and Civilians Movement
The Free Officers and Civilians Movement was an Iraqi opposition movement that campaigned against President Saddam Hussein.It was formed in 1996 from defected Iraqi army officers and led by former Brigadier General Najib al-Salihi. The Movement claimed it could raise 30,000 fighters...
, led by Brigadier-General Najib al-Salihi who opposed Saddam Hussein.
Members
This is a list of some of the major officers of the movement:- Major General Muhammad NaguibMuhammad NaguibMuhammad Naguib was the first President of Egypt, serving from the declaration of the Republic on June 18, 1953 to November 14, 1954. Along with Gamal Abdel Nasser, he was the primary leader of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, which ended the rule of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty in Egypt and Sudan...
(Border Guards) - Brigadier General Youssef SeddikYoussef Seddik (revolutionary)Youssef Seddik was an Egyptian military figure and politician. He is noted for his role in launching the first military procedures in the Egyptian Revolution of 1952.-Military career:...
(Infantry) - Lieutenant Colonel Gamal Abdel NasserGamal Abdel NasserGamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
(Infantry) - Lieutenant Colonel Anwar El-Sadat (Military Communication)
- Lieutenant Colonel Zakaria MohieddinZakaria MohieddinZakaria Mohieddin was an Egyptian military officer, politician, Prime Minister of Egypt and head of the first Intelligence body in Egypt, the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate.-Overview:...
(Infantry) - Major Abdel Hakim AmerAbdel Hakim AmerMohamed Abdel Hakim Amer was an Egyptian general and political leader. Born in Astal, Samallot, in the Al Minya Governorate in 1919, he served in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, took part in the 1952 Revolution and commanded the Egyptian Army in the Suez Crisis, the North Yemen Civil War and the...
(Infantry) - Major Salah SalemSalah SalemSalah Salem was an Egyptian military officer and politician.-Education and military career:Salim was born in Sinkat, Sudan in 1920. He was raised, however, in the Hilmiyyat Jadida neighborhood of Cairo. There he was educated at the Ibrahimiyyeh School, and later, in 1938, he graduated from the...
(Artillery) - Major Kamal ad Din Husayn (Artillery)
- Major Khalid Mohieddin (Armoured Corps)
- Major Hussein Al Shafei (Armoured Corps)
- Major Hamdy Ebeid
- Captain Abdel Moneim Abdel Raouf (Air force)
- Wing Commander Gamal SalemGamal SalemGamal Salem was an Egyptian Air Force officer and political figure in the mid-20th century. He was part of the Free Officers Movement which carried out a coup d'état against King Farouk I and turned Egypt into a Republic.-Career:...
(Air force) - Wing Commander Abd al-Latif al-Boghdadi (Air force)
- Squadron Leader Hassan Ibrahim (Air force)
- Amin Shaker (Military Communication)
- Mashhour Ahmed MashhourMashhour Ahmed MashhourEngineer Mashhour Ahmed Mashhour was the Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority - Birth :...
See also
- Egyptian Revolution of 1952
- Egyptian Revolutionary Command CouncilEgyptian Revolutionary Command CouncilThe Revolutionary Command Council was the body established to supervise Egypt and Sudan after the Revolution of 1952. It initially selected Ali Maher Pasha as Prime Minister, but forced him to resign after conflict over land reform. At that time, the Council took full control of Egypt...
- History of Modern EgyptHistory of Modern EgyptThe definition of modern history has varied in accordance to different definitions of Modernity. Some scholars date it as far back as 1517 with the Ottomans’ defeat of the Mamlūks in 1516–17...