Transcript Introduction - University of Michigan

Egypt
MERIP on Egypt in Year Three
Interview with Springborg
Link to syllabus
Link to WDI
Link to UM-D Library
Link to http://canvas.umd.umich.edu/
Egypt
map
Egypt Topographical map
Link to Egypt Chronology
Muhammad Ali
Born ~1770 in Albania into a military
family. Came to power about 1803.
Died in Egypt in 1849.
Spoke Turkish initially.
Participated in military expedition in
Egypt against French; stayed and
parlayed that into control.
Was instrumental in pushing for
development of Egypt; he lessened
Ottoman power, but faced increasing
British influence. Encouraged cotton
and sugar cultivation, and new
manufacturing industries. Also,v
educational reforms.
Picture from Hassan, In the House of Muhammad Ali
A painting of
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Said
1822-1863 (son of Muhammad Ali)
Ruled 1854-1863
Friendship with DeLesseps
led to French construction
of Suez Canal.
Ismail
1830-1895 Ruled 1863-1879
Grandson of Muhammad Ali,
(and son of Ibrahim pasha). Made
a mess out of the Suez Canal.
Was essentially thrown out of
office, after which the British ran
Egypt.
Commissioned Aida from Verdi.
"My country is no longer in Africa;
we are now part of Europe. It is
therefore natural for us to abandon
our former ways and to adopt a new
system adapted to our social
conditions". [Wiki]
Why the Suez Canal is Important
Satellite view of Suez
Inauguration of the Suez Canal
French Empress Eugenie
Painting by
Mahmoud Said (1897-1964)
Early Nationalism in Egypt, 1920s
King Fuad
1868-1936
King 1922-1936
Negotiated with Britain the conditions
of Egypt’s “independence” in 1922.
Fought with the Wafd Party; this
period is considered to have been quite
unstable politically.
Sa’ad Zaghul 1857-1927
Born into middle class peasant family.
Studied at al-Azhar and Egyptian School
of Law. Married daughter of the Prime
Minister; went on to be Minister of
Education, and of Justice. Dynamic orator
Founder of the Wafd Party, which asked
to represent Egypt at Versailles. Wafd
instigated disorders in 1918; Zaghul was
exiled, returned to become Prime Minister.
The Wafd is generally considered to
have been a failed middle class reformist
Party.
Talaat Harb 1867-1941
Leading Egyptian economist/businessman
who established the Bank of Egypt (Banque
Misr) in 1920.
The Bank of Egypt became the center of
an extensive group of companies, owned
and managed by Egyptians, in areas such
as textiles, shipping, publishing, movies,
and Egypt Air.
The Bank established branches in several
other Middle Eastern countries.
Hassan Al-Banna
1905-1949
Father was a watch repairman; he
studied to be a teacher at Cairo’s Teacher
College, and at Al-Azhar.
Established Muslim Brotherhood
in 1928 as a youth club, aimed at
moral and social reform.
Traveled widely to set up branches
of the Brotherhood in other countries.
Was assassinated by King Farouk’s secret
service agents.
King Tutankhamon
Discovered 1920
Egypt Awakening
Sculpture by Mahmoud
Mukhtar, 1928.
Example of nationalism, based
on Pharaonic images, mixed
with modernism symbolized by
peasant woman lifting her veil.
Now positioned at the entrance
of Cairo University
Tears of Isis
Painting by Mohamed Naghi 1937
Resurrection of the goddess Isis, mourning
her murdered husband Osiris, whom
she was eventually able to bring back
to life through her divine powers.
This painter was important in establishing
strands of the new (post WWI) Egyptian
nationalism. Modern Egyptian woman,
Eternal peasants, Valley of the Kings,
Pharaonic images.
King Farouk
1920-1965 (died in exile)
King 1936-1952
Tried to keep Egypt neutral
during WWII. Was not able
to work with Wafd and other
opposition groups. Became
infamous for decadent life style
Overthrown by coup of the
Free Officers, from which Nasser
emerged.
King Farouk
Princess
Fawzia
Sister of King Farouk
About the time she married
the Shah of Iran.
A similar picture appeared on
the cover of Life magazine.
Prince Hussein’s Palace, near Cairo
From Hassan, In the House of Muhammad Ali
Part of the palace of Mohamad Ali in the Citadel, Cairo
Egypt: Rice Vendor, Cairo 1870s
Source: Perez Focus East Early Photographs in the Near East p. 174
Egypt: Water
Carriers, Cairo
1880s
Source: Perez, Focus East Early Photographs in the Near East, p. 133
Egypt: al-Azhar
University, 1880s
Photo taken by G. Lekegian. Photograph title given in source book.
Source: Perez Focus East Early Photographs in the Near East p.69
Spread of irrigation in Egyptian Delta. Source: Richards: Egypt’s Agricultural Development…
Egypt:
Agricultural
GDP
Egypt:
Ag GDP
Log Ag Output
1E+11
10000000000
1000000000
1960
1970
1980
Year
1990
2000
Egyptian GDP/Capita, on a semi-log graph
Egypt
Real GDP/capita
10000
1000
100
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
Year
1970
1980
1990
2000
Gamel Abdel Nasser
1918-1970
President: 1954-1970
Son of a postman. Studied at a
military academy; participated
in 1948 war. Nationalist.
Leader of coup. Secularist
Promulgated “Arab Socialism,”
and had short union with Syria.
Land reform-directed at political
enemies. After Britain and US
denied funds for Aswan Dam,
he nationalized Suez Canal in
1956. Led country into defeat in
1967 War. Died of a heart attack
Why the Military Coup against Farouk?
External and internal crises had de-legitimized the established order.
Wafd was too identified with the urban elites, and had alienated
Egyptian nationalists by working with British during WWI.
Palace had been inept during the 1948 war with Israel.
Palace had not successfully repressed the MB nor the Marxist left.
… Mutual exhaustion between the Palace and the Wafd.
Note the threat to other MENA regimes represented by this coup:
Successful: Iraq, Libya, eventually Yemen, then Iran.
Attempted, but not successful: Jordan, Morocco.
One could also talk about insecurity in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,
and other Gulf countries.
Nasser is important, because:
Egyptian, born of humble origins. Was a nationalist. Military man.
Came to power by a coup against the monarchy.
Secularist (actually fought with the Muslim Brotherhood).
Economic Policy:
Nationalizations, of foreign firms, Egyptian firms, Suez Canal
Land Reform (not particularly successful – not enough land)
Protectionist, pushed industrialization
Aswan dam (eventually financed by USSR)
Pan-Arabist: Union with Syria (short-lived). Third World leader.
War with Israel in 1967.
His successor, Anwar Sadat, reversed Nasser’s policies in important ways.
Sadat pushed for economic liberalization, and
eventually signed the peace treaty with Israel.
Gamel Abdel Nasser 1918-1970
Nasser and Nehru
Nasser as a leader of the “Third World “
Anwar Sadat
1918-1981
President 1970-1981
Had military education, participated in
Young Officers’ Coup.
Is judged to have re-directed Egypt’s
Destiny towards “the west”-US&UK.
After losing 1973 June War, he visited
Jerusalem in 1977 to discuss peace, which
led to Camp David Accords and Nobel
Prize, but isolation in Arab world, and his
assassination by army soldiers during a
military parade.
Handshake: Sadat-Begin-Carter. Camp David
September, 1978
Sadat’s Assassination, October 6, 1981
Hosni Mubarak
Born 1928
President 1981-
Born to an upper middle class
family, he studied military school and
briefly in USSR.
Has maintained Sadat’s western orientation, with some economic liberalizati
and political openings to Muslim
Brotherhood and Islamists, although
he has run un-opposed in his own
elections. Supported sanctions against
Iraq, & Gulf Wars. Important link to
Palestinians. Escaped assassination
in 1995? in Ethiopia.
Mubarak and Bush
Cairo’s Tahrir Square during the Feb. 2011 Uprising
Diagram of the Battle for Tahrir Square – NYT Feb 3, 2010
Egypt: Election photos
Mohamed Morsi
Born in a small town in 1951
Degrees at Cairo University,
Ph.D. Univ. Southern California
Served in the Egyptian Parliament
2000-05.
A leading member of the Muslim
Brotherhood, became its presidentia
candidate after M. Khairat el-Shater
was declared ineligible
Egypt’s first democratically elected president, in June, 2012; overthrown
in July, 2013. Now in jail, awaiting trial.
Initially, Morsi had promised an inclusive government, but he didn’t, and
alienated liberals and the armed forces. The current gov’t/military
backlash is attempting to isolate or even eliminate the Muslim
Brotherhood.
Current Leaders of Egypt
Adly Mansour,
Interim President,
Previous head of the
Supreme Court
Hazem el-Beblawi
Interim Prime Minister
Economist; Ph.D. Paris
Taught in US, worked
at UN-ESCWA
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi,
Minister of Defense.
Positioning himself
to run for president.
Egypt’s current Cabinet
http://www.cabinet.gov.eg/Cabinet/Cabinet.aspx
Backup link through Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_Egypt#Present_Egyptian_Cabinet
Gamal Mubarak
1963Second son of current president,
Hosni Mubarak.
MBA from AUC.
Head of NDP (ruling party).
Widely suspected of being
groomed to succeed his father,
although this is denied by both
of them.
Candidates to Succeed Pres. Hosni Mubarak
Gamal Mubarak 1963MBA from AUC.
Head of NDP (ruling party).
General Omar Suleiman
(Head of Intelligence)
Anwar Sadat
1918-1981
Field Marshall Mohamed
Hussein Tantawi
Born 1935, in Cairo.
Minister of Defense since 1991, and
since February 2011 is the Head
of the Supreme Council of the Armed
Forces, essentially the head of the
government
He participated in the Suez War of 1956, the wars of 1967 and 1973,
and the Gulf War.
It was unclear if he and the military would give up power.
Said Pasha’s Palace