History of “modern” Egypt• 16th – 18th centuries: Ottoman (Turkish) rule

• 1798: Napoleon invades

• 1882: British invade

• 1910s: Nationalist Movement

• 1919: Egyptian revolt

• 1922: limited Independence

• 1952: Army Coup – Nasser -- independence

Napoleon Invades Egypt 1798

Battle of the Pyramids

Napoleon “liberates”Egypt from Ottoman Empire

“Battle of Nile” 1798:British Adm. Nelson defeats Napoleon

1882 British attack AlexandriaInvade Egypt & establish colony

After bombardment: anti-European riots

Alexandria after attack 1882

Alexandria after attack British at Pyramids

World War I• Allies promise Arabs independence in

exchange for cooperation against Germany

• Britain and France secretly agreed to divide Middle East as colonies after WWI (“Sykes-Picot pact”)

• Britain increased military in Egypt, forced Egyptians to sell cotton & fodder below market price, conscripted 500,000 Egyptians

World War I• 1917 Bolshevik Revolution: Sykes-Picot

pact revealed

• Occupation + economic hardships + Sykes-Picot betrayal fueled nationalist movement

• Saad Zaghlul emerged as leader

• Delegation – wafd – to negotiate independence at Paris Peace Conference, but exiled

1919 Saad Zaghlul & Wafd

1919 Egyptian Revolution

Egyptian Independence• 1922: Britain granted Egypt

independence

• Created parliament + monarchy on British model

• Kept rights to military occupation that allowed control of Egyptian politics until 1952 coup by Gamal Nasser and “Free Officers”

1952 “Free Officers” Coup

Gamal Nasser

Nasser Era• Arab Nationalism

– Unite M.E. as “Arab nation” inclusive of all religions

– Many leaders were Arab Christians

• Democracy and moderate socialism

• Leader of newly-independent “Third World” non-aligned nations– Neutral in Cold War between U.S. and U.S.S.R.

Nasser Era – con’t• Social progress:

– Land reform– Education– Health care– Guaranteed jobs– Economic growth

• Initial popular enthusiasm

• Cult of personality dictatorship

1967• Crushing defeat by Israel showed failure

of Nasser and of “Arab nationalism”

• Period of “self-criticism” by intellectuals and artists

• Youth begins turning to Islam– Mosques begin filling– Young women put on headscarves and veils– Gov’t supports Islamists to undermine leftists

Spring Protests

Egypt 1970s - 2011

• 1970s: liberal-leftist opposition crushed; gov’t supports Islamists

• 1981: Sadat assassinated by Islamists

• 1990s: Islamist attacks

• 2000s: increasing piety

decreasing Islamism

January: Midan Tahrir“Freedom Square”

Mubarek:

“President” to prisoner