Cairo: Commanded by a group of young military calling themselves the “Free Officers”, the Egyptian revolution deposed the monarchy on July 23, 1952, initiating drastic changes at home and far beyond.
Before the revolution, described by some historians as a bloodless coup, Egypt was locked in political tensions and social imbalances due to a corrupt political system and the British occupation of the country.
The revolutionaries pledged to remove feudalism and colonialism, achieve social justice, build a strong army and establish a sound democracy.
The Free Officers were led by Mohammad Najib, a well-respected army who was later put under house arrest following a dispute with Jamal Abdul Nasser, another leading member of the junta on establishing a democratic rule in the country.
Having removed Najib, an advocate of democracy, Nasser ruled Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Under him, Egypt experienced an epoch-making agrarian reform, an ambitious industrial drive, a vigorous cultural revival and a controversial socialism that included nationalising enterprises and the media.
Nasser inspired liberation movements in the Third World for independence from colonialism.
He co-founded the Non-Alignment Movement in 1955 and forged a short-lived unity with Syria three years later.
Nasser angered the West when he nationalised the Suez Canal, a major world waterway, in 1956, triggering what came to be known as the Suez Crisis.
The dispute culminated in a tripartite offensive launched by Britain, France and Israel against Egypt. Nasser emerged from the crisis as a widely popular leader. His image, however, was dented after Egypt’s crushing military defeat by Israel in 1967.
