Transcript NASSER IN POWER

NASSER IN POWER
By Lanie Corrigan, Simogne Hudson,
Max Mendola, Laura Mitchell, Steven
Soo, Ariana Stuart
FOREIGN POLICY
• NON-ALIGNMENT MOVEMENT
– After the African-Asian Bandung Conference in
Indonesia (1955), Nasser embraced positive
neutralism*
– Wanted to make Egypt completely
independent of outside control
• USA
– Nasser was very anti-imperialist and
maintained only a civil relationship with the US
in the 50s
• USSR
– Tense relationship because Nasser refused to
accept communism
*During the Cold War, Positive Neutralism was
the act of non-alignment with USA and Russia.
SUEZ CRISIS (1956)
• August 4, 19 Nasser announces that he is going to
nationalize the Suez canal.
• In September, Israel, Britain, and France stage a coup
– Stopped by the United Nations (sort of)
• Results:
– Nasser is viewed as a hero by Egyptians and neighboring
states
– Relationships between USSR improve
– UN peacekeepers patrol
– Relationship with Israel is bad
– Rest of world starts to consider Egyptian area a sphere of
influence
• Political
Domestic Policy
–
–
–
–
June 1956, New Constitution
Islam was a state religion
Egypt was part of Arab nation
Government included: president, council of
ministers, and national assembly
– National union replaced all political parties
– First election in 1957 included women’s
suffrage
• Economic
– Nasser continued nationalization
“Egyptianization”
– 1958, five year plan set in motion
– Nasser disappointed by results (corruption
and low productivity)
The United Arab Republic
• 1958-Egypt unites with Syria to establish UAR
• Motivated by increased security for Egypt and
opportunity for improved economy
• Ended after a coup in 1961
Post UAR
• Nasser blames collapse on
bourgeoisie
• Afraid capitalists had
dominated political and social
media
• Nasser pushed for “Arab
Socialism” by nationalizing
private property
ARAB SOCIALISM
• Economic:
– First Five Year plan in 1958
– Radical land reform; limit on private property, and
a system of cooperatives
• Political:
– Government restructured in 1963 after the
National Charter
– “Military bureaucratic society”
– Reorganized Military
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS
• Population
– At first wanted more people for bigger army
– Country couldn’t support growing population
– Islam’s opposition toward birth control made population control
difficult
• Class Struggle
– A new elite class formed from members of gov.
– The rest suffered from inflation due to indirect taxes
• Aswan Dam
– Completed in 1970 with USSR aid
– It bettered relations with the USSR
• Grain
– Dependent on US for grain
– Led to shortages in 1966
– Nasser decided friendship would be impossible if Johnson was
President
Nasser Images
Sources
Mimmack, Brian, Eunice Price, and Daniela
Senes. History. Oxford: Pearson Education,
2010. Print.