![Free Officers, 1953](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Free_Officers%2C_1953.jpg)
The Free Officers ( ar, حركة الضباط الأحرار, Ḥarakat a-dubbāṭ al-ʾaḥrār) were a group of revolutionary
Egyptian nationalist officers in the
Egyptian Armed Forces
The Egyptian Armed Forces ( arz, القُوّات المُسَلَّحَة المِصْرِيَّة, alquwwat almusalahat almisria) are the military forces of the Arab Republic of Egypt. They consist of the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy, Egyptia ...
and
Sudanese Armed Forces
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF; ar, القوات المسلحة السودانية, Al-Quwwat al-Musallaha as-Sudaniyah) are the military forces of the Republic of the Sudan. In 2011, IISS estimated the regular forces' numbers at personnel, whi ...
that instigated the
Egyptian Revolution of 1952. Initially started as a small
rebellion military cell under Abdel Moneim Abdel Raouf, which included
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced far-re ...
, Hussein Hamouda,
Khaled Mohieddin
Khaled Mohieddine ( arz, خالد محيى الدين, ; August 17, 1922 – May 6, 2018) was an Egyptian revolutionary, politician, and military officer. As a member of the Free Officers Movement, he participated in the toppling of King Farouk ...
,
Kamal el-Din Hussein
Kamal El-Din Hussein ( ar, كمال الدين حسين) (2 January 1921 – 19 June 1999) was a member of the Egyptian Free Officers who overthrew King Farouk.
Early life and education
Kamal El-Din Hussein was born in 1921 in Banha, Qaly ...
,
Salah Nasr
Salah Nasr (, ) (8 October 1920 – 5 March 1982) served as head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate from 1957 to 1967. He retired citing health reasons following Egypt's defeat in the 1967 Six-Day War. He was succeeded by Amin Ho ...
,
Abdel Hakim Amer
Mohamed Abdel Hakim Amer ( arz, محمد عبد الحكيم عامر, ; 11 December 1919 – 13 September 1967) was an Egyptian military officer and politician. Amer served in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and played a leading role in the mi ...
, and Saad Tawfik, it operated as a clandestine movement of junior officers during the
Palestine War of 1948-1949. The nationally respected war hero
Mohamed Naguib
Mohamed Bey Naguib Youssef Qutb El-Qashlan ( ar, الرئيس اللواء محمد بك نجيب يوسف قطب القشلان, ; 19 February 1901 – 28 August 1984), also known as Mohamed Naguib, was an Egyptian revolutionary, and, along ...
joined the Free Officers in 1949. Naguib's hero status, and influence within the army, granted the movement credibility, both within the military and the public at large. He became the official leader of the Free Officers during the turmoil leading up the
revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
that toppled
King Farouk
Farouk I (; ar, فاروق الأول ''Fārūq al-Awwal''; 11 February 1920 – 18 March 1965) was the tenth ruler of Egypt from the Muhammad Ali dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and the Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1 ...
in 1952.
Background
![ثورة 52](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/%D8%AB%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9_52.jpg)
Economic challenges that emerged following the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, namely the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, affected national economies around the globe, including those of Egypt and Sudan. During this time, the
Great Powers
A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power in ...
in the
Arab World
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...
and
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
began removing institutions for economic development after some positive advancement became evident. This 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 economies of the region. These state-led initiatives set the standard for what the people expected of their government, including the regulation of imports, industrial investment, commodity distribution, production supervision.
[Gelvin, James L. ''The Modern Middle East: A History''. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.]
Formation
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 in
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
in the late 1940s, it was the Free Officers coup in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
and the revolution of 1952 that would have the greatest impact, and encourage later movements.
The members were not from the wealthy elite, but rather the
middle class
The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Commo ...
, young workers, government officials and junior officers. The movement, which began and spread throughout the 1940s, came to fruition with the leadership of
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced far-re ...
. Nasser, who commanded the loyalty and respect of the other members, formed a coordinating committee (1949), which he was later asked to lead (1950). Coming from a modest background, he represented the group's majority: the hard-working middle class. The Free Officers consisted of urban dwellers and educated militants with a lower-middle-class upbringing. Nasser was a war hero who rose quickly in military rank to colonel. He, like many others, dedicated his time and energy to reversing the corruption seen on the part of the government throughout the
1947–1949 Palestine war
The 1948 Palestine war was fought in the territory of what had been, at the start of the war, British-ruled Mandatory Palestine. It is known in Israel as the War of Independence ( he, מלחמת העצמאות, ''Milkhemet Ha'Atzma'ut'') and ...
by restoring a democracy. He saw the problem of domestic passivity towards
imperialism
Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing hard power (economic and ...
as being as much a problem as imperialism itself.
The Free Officers strengthened a "new" middle class. Due to this dedication to change, the Free Officers referred to their group and its entirety as simply a "movement." Later however, it would become a
revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
.
The Free Officers Committee enlisted General
Muhammad Naguib
Mohamed Bey Naguib Youssef Qutb El-Qashlan ( ar, الرئيس اللواء محمد بك نجيب يوسف قطب القشلان, ; 19 February 1901 – 28 August 1984), also known as Mohamed Naguib, was an Egyptian revolutionary, and, along ...
as a public figurehead in preparation for the successful coup of 23 July 1952. The 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 Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced far-re ...
(1917–70), Major
Abdel Hakim Amer
Mohamed Abdel Hakim Amer ( arz, محمد عبد الحكيم عامر, ; 11 December 1919 – 13 September 1967) was an Egyptian military officer and politician. Amer served in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and played a leading role in the mi ...
(1919–67), Lieutenant Colonel
Anwar El-Sadat
Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat, (25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the third president of Egypt, from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 ...
(1918–81), Major
Salah Salem
Salah Salem ( ar, صلاح سالم) (September 25, 1920 – February 18, 1962) was an Egyptian military officer, and politician, and a member of the Free Officers Movement that orchestrated the Egyptian Revolution of 1952.
Education and m ...
(1920–62), Major
Kamal el-Din Hussein
Kamal El-Din Hussein ( ar, كمال الدين حسين) (2 January 1921 – 19 June 1999) was a member of the Egyptian Free Officers who overthrew King Farouk.
Early life and education
Kamal El-Din Hussein was born in 1921 in Banha, Qaly ...
(1921–99), Wing Commander
Gamal Salem
Gamal Salem (1918–1968; arz, جمال سالم) was a prominent member of the Egyptian Free Officers who led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 that toppled the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan. Prior to the Revolution, he served as an officer in R ...
(1918–2001), Squadron Leader
Hassan Ibrahim
Hassan Ibrahim (1917 – 1990) was an Egyptian Air Force officer and one of the founders of the Free Officers movement.
Early life and education
Ibrahim was born in Alexandria in 1917. He graduated from the Egyptian Air Academy in 1927.
Free O ...
[All the revolution's men. ''Al Ahram Weekly''. Issue No. 595, 18–24 July 2002. Retrieved 20 August 2012.] (1917–90), Major
Khalid Mohieddin (1922–2018), and Wing Commander
Abdel Latif Boghdadi (1917–99); Major
Hussein el-Shafei
Hussein Mahmoud Hassan el-Shafei ( ar, حسين محمود حسن الشافعي) (8 February 1918 – 18 November 2005), was a member of Egypt's 1952 revolutionary leadership council and served as vice president under two Egyptian presidents, G ...
(1918–2005) and Lieutenant Colonel
Zakaria Mohieddin
Zakaria Mohieddin (5 July 1918 – 15 May 2012) ( ar, زكريا محيي الدين, ) was an Egyptian military officer, politician, Prime Minister of Egypt and head of the first Intelligence body in Egypt, the Egyptian General Intelligence D ...
(1918–2012) joined the committee later.
The continued agitation within Egypt as a result of British control led to a series of revolts in which British military outposts were attacked. During 1950–52, workers in the
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
Zone went on strike but were blockaded by the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
. The pro-British Egyptian government in Cairo issued a public warning to Egyptian nationalists not to continue their activities. Contrarily, attacks were made against the British and the Egyptian elites who worked with them. At this point, Egyptian nationalist groups were divided and disorganised. The military was the only area that still held some sort of organised mission, which led to the
Revolution of 1952. The revolutionaries publicised the need for reform and social justice, marched on
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
and forced
King Farouk
Farouk I (; ar, فاروق الأول ''Fārūq al-Awwal''; 11 February 1920 – 18 March 1965) was the tenth ruler of Egypt from the Muhammad Ali dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and the Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1 ...
to abdicate his throne. The revolution led to the end of
British control over Egypt, which had begun in 1882 during the Anglo-Egyptian War.
Legacy
Similar movements were organised by other groups of junior officers seeking to mimic the Free Officers' ascent to power. In Iraq, a faction of
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
and
Iraqi nationalist
Iraqi nationalism is a form of nationalism which asserts the belief that Iraqis are a nation and promotes the cultural unity of Iraqis of different ethnoreligious groups such as Mesopotamian Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Yazidi ...
officers, who referred to themselves as the "Free Officers",
toppled the pro-British
Hashemite
The Hashemites ( ar, الهاشميون, al-Hāshimīyūn), also House of Hashim, are the royal family of Jordan, which they have ruled since 1921, and were the royal family of the kingdoms of Hejaz (1916–1925), Syria (1920), and Iraq (1921 ...
government of
Nuri al-Said
Nuri Pasha al-Said CH (December 1888 – 15 July 1958) ( ar, نوري السعيد) was an Iraqi politician during the British mandate in Iraq and the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq. He held various key cabinet positions and served eight terms as ...
and
Faisal II
Faisal II ( ar, الملك فيصل الثاني ''el-Melik Faysal es-Sânî'') (2 May 1935 – 14 July 1958) was the last King of Iraq. He reigned from 4 April 1939 until July 1958, when he was killed during the 14 July Revolution. This regici ...
in 1958. Said and Faisal, Nasser's chief regional rivals at the time, were both killed during the coup. In 1963 some of the same officers aligned themselves with the
Ba'ath Party
The Arab Socialist Baʿath Party ( ar, حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي ' ) was a political party founded in Syria by Mishel ʿAflaq, Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Bītār, and associates of Zaki al-ʾArsūzī. The party espoused B ...
and overthrew the government of
Abd al-Karim Qasim
Abd al-Karim Qasim Muhammad Bakr al-Fadhli al-Zubaidi ( ar, عبد الكريم قاسم ' ) (21 November 1914 – 9 February 1963) was an Iraqi Army brigadier and nationalist who came to power when the Iraqi monarchy was overthrown ...
, who was killed by the organizers of the coup.
In Syria a coalition of Arab nationalist officers, including
Nasserist
Nasserism ( ) is an Arab nationalist and Arab socialist political ideology based on the thinking of Gamal Abdel Nasser, one of the two principal leaders of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, and Egypt's second President. Spanning the domestic a ...
s, Ba'athists and independents,
toppled the secessionist government of
Nazim al-Qudsi
Nazim al-Qudsi ( ar, ناظم القدسي, Nāẓim al-Qudsī or Nadhim Al-Kudisi; 14 February 1906 – 6 February 1998), was a Syrian politician who served as President of Syria from 14 December 1961 to 8 March 1963.
Early life and education
...
in 1963 and vowed to restore the union with Egypt in the
United Arab Republic
The United Arab Republic (UAR; ar, الجمهورية العربية المتحدة, al-Jumhūrīyah al-'Arabīyah al-Muttaḥidah) was a sovereign state in the Middle East from 1958 until 1971. It was initially a political union between Eg ...
(1958–1961). In
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
during the 1960s the
Prince Talal invoked a similar idea, the
Free Princes Movement
The Free Princes Movement ( ar, حركة الأمراء الأحرار; al-umara’ al-ahrar) was a Saudi liberal political movement that existed from 1958 to 1964. Its members were known as the Young Najd (Najd al-Fattah in Arabic), Free Prince ...
, 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.
Then
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
n leader
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, . Due to the lack of standardization of transcribing written and regionally pronounced Arabic, Gaddafi's name has been romanized in various ways. A 1986 column by ''The Straight Dope'' lists 32 spellin ...
used a similar group to overthrow the Libyan
King Idris
Muhammad Idris bin Muhammad al-Mahdi as-Senussi ( ar, إدريس, Idrīs; 13 March 1890 – 25 May 1983) was a Libyan political and religious leader who was King of Libya from 24 December 1951 until his overthrow on 1 September 1969. He ruled o ...
in 1969.
The anniversary of the
Egyptian Revolution of 1952 led by the Free Officers is commemorated as
Revolution Day Revolution Day or the Day of the Revolution refers to public holidays or remembrance days in various country held in commemoration of an important event in the country's history, usually the starting point or a turning point in a revolution that led ...
, 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.
Members
This is a list of some of the major officers of the movement:
* Major General
Muhammad Naguib
Mohamed Bey Naguib Youssef Qutb El-Qashlan ( ar, الرئيس اللواء محمد بك نجيب يوسف قطب القشلان, ; 19 February 1901 – 28 August 1984), also known as Mohamed Naguib, was an Egyptian revolutionary, and, along ...
(Border Guards)
* Brigadier General
Youssef Seddik (Infantry)
* Lieutenant Colonel
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced far-re ...
(Infantry)
* Lieutenant Colonel
Anwar El-Sadat
Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat, (25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the third president of Egypt, from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 ...
(Military Communication)
* Lieutenant Colonel
Zakaria Mohieddin
Zakaria Mohieddin (5 July 1918 – 15 May 2012) ( ar, زكريا محيي الدين, ) was an Egyptian military officer, politician, Prime Minister of Egypt and head of the first Intelligence body in Egypt, the Egyptian General Intelligence D ...
(Infantry)
* Major
Abdel Hakim Amer
Mohamed Abdel Hakim Amer ( arz, محمد عبد الحكيم عامر, ; 11 December 1919 – 13 September 1967) was an Egyptian military officer and politician. Amer served in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and played a leading role in the mi ...
(Infantry)
* Major
Salah Salem
Salah Salem ( ar, صلاح سالم) (September 25, 1920 – February 18, 1962) was an Egyptian military officer, and politician, and a member of the Free Officers Movement that orchestrated the Egyptian Revolution of 1952.
Education and m ...
(Artillery)
* Major
Kamal el-Din Hussein
Kamal El-Din Hussein ( ar, كمال الدين حسين) (2 January 1921 – 19 June 1999) was a member of the Egyptian Free Officers who overthrew King Farouk.
Early life and education
Kamal El-Din Hussein was born in 1921 in Banha, Qaly ...
(Artillery)
* Major
Khalid Mohieddin (Armoured Corps)
* Major
Hussein Al Shafei (Armoured Corps)
* General Ali Elbana
* Major Hamdy Ebeid
* Captain Abdel Moneim Abdel Raouf (Air force)
* Wing Commander
Gamal Salem
Gamal Salem (1918–1968; arz, جمال سالم) was a prominent member of the Egyptian Free Officers who led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 that toppled the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan. Prior to the Revolution, he served as an officer in R ...
(Air force)
* Wing Commander
Abd al-Latif al-Boghdadi (Air force)
* Squadron Leader
Hassan Ibrahim
Hassan Ibrahim (1917 – 1990) was an Egyptian Air Force officer and one of the founders of the Free Officers movement.
Early life and education
Ibrahim was born in Alexandria in 1917. He graduated from the Egyptian Air Academy in 1927.
Free O ...
(Air force)
* Amin Shaker (Military Communication)
*
Mashhour Ahmed Mashhour
Mashhour Ahmed Mashhour (Arabic: مشهور أحمد مشهور, April 1, 1918 – July 6, 2008) was the Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (October 1965 – December 1983).
Early life and education
Mashhour was born in April 1918 in Al-Saadiee ...
* Aly Mansour (Air Force)
* Mounier Shash (Artillery)
* Major General Mohamed Uthman (Infantry)
See also
*
Egyptian Revolution of 1952
*
Egyptian Revolutionary Command Council
The Revolutionary Command Council (RCC; ''Majlis Qiyāda ath-Thawra'') was the body established to supervise the Republic of Egypt and Anglo-Egyptian Sudan after the Revolution of 1952. It initially selected Ali Maher Pasha as Prime Minister, ...
*
History of Modern Egypt
According to most scholars the history of modern Egypt dates from the start of Muhammad Ali's rule in 1805 and his launching of Egypt's modernization project that involved building a new army and suggesting a new map for the country, though th ...
References
External links
Armed Conflicts events Data: Egypt Coup 1952
{{Authority control
Egyptian nationalists
Egyptian revolutionaries
Military history of Egypt
Rebel groups in Egypt
Revolutions in Egypt
Egyptian Revolution of 1952