Gamal Abdel Nasser

Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918-1970), Egyptian statesman, who rose from humble beginnings to become president of Egypt (1956-1970) and the most influential leader, in his day, of the Arab world.

Nasser was born in Alexandria on January 15, 1918, the son of a postman. After secondary schooling in Cairo, he entered the Royal Military Academy, and graduated in 1938. There and in subsequent service he formed friendships with a few fellow officers and with them created a secret revolutionary society, the Free Officers. Egypt was nominally ruled at the time by a small landowning class that possessed one-third of the land and dominated parliament; the British presence was all-pervasive, and the king, Faruk I, was politically weak. The Free Officers plotted to rid Egypt of the British and the king, and Egypt's disastrous campaign against Israel in 1948 strengthened their resolve. On July 23, 1952, they staged a bloodless coup d’état and ousted King Faruk. Although Nasser was the real leader, he initially remained in the background.

Radical measures were soon instituted: land ownership was curtailed or nationalized and opposition parties banned. In 1953 the monarchy was abolished and a one-party republic proclaimed. It was first headed by General Muhammad Naguib, but in 1954 Nasser assumed power. He subsequently negotiated a treaty with the British, bringing to an end their 72-year control over Egypt. Nasser was officially elected president in 1956.

At the Bandung Conference of Asian and African nations in 1955, Nasser emerged as a world figure, but his espousal of a foreign policy of non-alignment, in common with the leaders of other Non-aligned Nations, led to deteriorating relations with the West. In 1956 Britain and the United States withdrew their financial support from his Aswān High Dam project. In order to finance the project, Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal. This precipitated an invasion of Egypt by France and Britain in alliance with Israel. Under pressure from the United States, however, the invaders were forced to withdraw, and a United Nations (UN) emergency force was subsequently placed as a buffer between Egypt and Israel.

Nasser’s attempt to unite the Arab World led to a federation in 1958 of Syria and Egypt, forming the United Arab Republic under his presidency. The union, however, broke up in 1961 following a coup in Syria. Nasser subsequently instituted a programme of Arab socialism, in which banks and utilities were nationalized to finance industrialization.

By 1967 Arab-Israeli relations had deteriorated. Following the withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping force at Nasser's request, Egyptian guns were used to close the Gulf of Aqaba to Israeli ships. Israel retaliated by attacking Egypt and occupying the Sinai Peninsula as far as the Suez Canal. The Six-Day War ensued. Nasser took responsibility for the disastrous Arab defeat and resigned. Although he was forced to return to office by popular demand, he never regained his previous stature as a Pan-Arab leader. He died in office on September 28, 1970, of a heart attack.