Empire & Aftermath Postcolonial Egypt: Authoritarian Nationalism and the American Empire James E....
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![Page 1: Empire & Aftermath Postcolonial Egypt: Authoritarian Nationalism and the American Empire James E. Baldwin.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062317/5a4d1b407f8b9ab0599a0d52/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Empire & Aftermath
Postcolonial Egypt: Authoritarian Nationalism and the
American Empire
James E. Baldwin
![Page 2: Empire & Aftermath Postcolonial Egypt: Authoritarian Nationalism and the American Empire James E. Baldwin.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062317/5a4d1b407f8b9ab0599a0d52/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Independence in stages
• In occupation since 1882, Britain annexes Egypt in 1914.• First World War sees fighting on Egyptian soil and Cairo
used as a military base.• Egyptian nationalists hoped to use post-war peace
conference to secure independence.• Nationalist leader Saad Zaghlul arrested and exiled,
resulting in unrest: the Egyptian Revolution of 1919.• Britain grants Egypt independence in 1922, but retains
for itself: defense of Egypt, control of imperial communications, protection of foreign interests, occupation of Suez Canal zone.
![Page 3: Empire & Aftermath Postcolonial Egypt: Authoritarian Nationalism and the American Empire James E. Baldwin.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062317/5a4d1b407f8b9ab0599a0d52/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Independence in stages
• World War 2: more fighting in Egypt, including aerial bombardment, British force king to appoint new government in 1942.
• Free Officers’ Revolution of 1952 overthrew monarchy and dedicated itself to full freedom from British influence.
• Agreement in 1954 to evacuate all British troops in Egypt.• Egypt during 1950s and 60s committed to non-alignment.• From 1970s, Egypt aligned itself more closely with the US –
has it now been incorporated into an American empire?
![Page 4: Empire & Aftermath Postcolonial Egypt: Authoritarian Nationalism and the American Empire James E. Baldwin.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062317/5a4d1b407f8b9ab0599a0d52/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Gamal Abdel Nasser
![Page 5: Empire & Aftermath Postcolonial Egypt: Authoritarian Nationalism and the American Empire James E. Baldwin.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062317/5a4d1b407f8b9ab0599a0d52/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Nasser’s program
• Challenging British hegemony in the Middle East.
• Arab unity in the face of imperialism.• Non-alignment in the Cold War.• Freedom from influence of international
capital.• Egyptianization of the Egyptian economy.
![Page 6: Empire & Aftermath Postcolonial Egypt: Authoritarian Nationalism and the American Empire James E. Baldwin.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062317/5a4d1b407f8b9ab0599a0d52/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
The Suez War of 1956
![Page 7: Empire & Aftermath Postcolonial Egypt: Authoritarian Nationalism and the American Empire James E. Baldwin.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062317/5a4d1b407f8b9ab0599a0d52/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
The Suez War of 1956: background
• Tension with Britain and France over support for Arab nationalism; tension with USA over arms purchases and funding for Aswan dam.
• Suez Canal Company: listed company, majority of shares owned by Britain and France.
• July 1956: Nasser declares nationalization of canal in speech in Alexandria.
![Page 8: Empire & Aftermath Postcolonial Egypt: Authoritarian Nationalism and the American Empire James E. Baldwin.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062317/5a4d1b407f8b9ab0599a0d52/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
The Suez War of 1956
• Secret plan between Britain, France and Israel.• Israel invades Sinai, Britain and France intervene as
peacekeepers, in the process seizing control of canal area.• US very angry: puts enormous diplomatic and economic
pressure on British Prime Minister Anthony Eden.• Eden suddenly recalls British forces, causing collapse of
operation.• Experienced by Eden and the British political elite as a
deep humiliation, the war was the iconic moment of a longer process in which the US supplanted Britain as the dominant power in the Middle East.
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Nasser’s domestic policies
• Nationalization: beyond Suez Canal, most large businesses.
• Land reform: breaking up of large estates, with small plots of land granted to peasant families.
• Ambitious modernization drive.• Egyptianization: increasing restrictions on
economic activities of foreign citizens, ultimately leading to harassment campaign that forces out most of Egypt’s large expatriate population.
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Land redistribution ceremony in Minya, upper Egypt, early 1960s.
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Repression under Nasser
• Expulsion of foreign nationals as part of Egyptianization drive.
• Vicious suppression of Muslim Brotherhood after attempt to assassinate Nasser in 1954.
• The same campaign crushed all other forms of dissent, such as communists.
• Nasser set up extensive security apparatus: to control population and as counterweight to the military.
![Page 12: Empire & Aftermath Postcolonial Egypt: Authoritarian Nationalism and the American Empire James E. Baldwin.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062317/5a4d1b407f8b9ab0599a0d52/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Sadat’s turn to the US
• After war of 1973, Sadat decides that military conflict with Israel futile.
• Visits Jerusalem in 1977, peace deal signed in 1979 leading to Israeli withdrawal from Sinai.
• Policy of infitah – opening of Egyptian economy to foreign investment.
• Coincides with Iranian Revolution of 1979: US lost its main Middle Eastern ally and was searching for a replacement.
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US-Egyptian alliance
• Most important components: peace with Israel and support for US objectives in the oil-exporting regions of the Middle East.
• Neoliberal reform: also response to IMF pressure.• US support provided through military aid:
currently $1.5 billion annually.• Aid gives Egyptian armed forces huge disincentive
to engage in a coup that threatens US interests.
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Egyptian Revolution of 2011
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Aftermath of 2011 revolution
• Military tried to stage-manage transition to another authoritarian, military-friendly regime.
• Initially hoped Ahmed Shafik, former minister under Mubarak, would be elected president.
• After Mohamed Morsi’s victory, he attempted to seize control of repressive apparatus, rather than reform it.
• Old regime took advantage of widespread protests against Morsi to seize power again, with military now in more powerful position than security services.