Transcript Gamal Abdel Nasser

Susan Tarabishi
James Byrne
Emergence of Nasser
 Grievances of poverty, imperialism, and the power of
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the aristocrats
Did not favor British Army’s rule on Egypt
Peasants were angered at their lack of political
representation
Anger towards failure of the Egyptian Army
Anger towards western values influencing Arab culture
(Muslim Brotherhood)
Opposition towards Israel because of the way they
took Arab land
How he gained power
 Gained power by force: led government coup d’etat
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staged by the Free Officers (1952)
Nasser believed in left-wing politics (communist)
He led via dictatorship
Began to eliminate any ideas that went against his
political policies
Told Egyptians to dismiss Western influences
His ideologies were nationalistic
He believed in Islam and the abolition of imperialism
The Rule Of Nasser
 Provided power for industries, and land reclamation in
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agriculture through the Aswan High Dam to protect the
Nile from overflowing
Led to an increase in crop production
Nationalized the Suez Canal to obtain money
Nasser made Egypt less dependent on Western nations
Established Revolutionary Command Council to secure the
military’s hold on government.
Average of living standard was increased
Made education more available for lower classes
Supported the arts of theater, film, and music
Education and Propaganda
 Nasser used propaganda through the airwaves and
Egyptian broadcasting through the Middle East.
 Education was offered to both genders and for free.
Treatment Towards Minorities
 Women achieved an education and worked because
Nasser knew that would stimulate the economy.
 The Copts faced obstacles and most fled to America
because Nasser made Egypt an Islamic nation.
Nasser’s Foreign Policy
 Lost the six day war with Israel
 Entered the Yemen civil war
 Strong ties to Communist Soviet Union
 Attacked Israel in 1967 only to be defeated
Regime’s impact outside the
country
 Nasser created the United Arab Republic by merging
with Syria. He became supreme leader of the Republic.
(1958)
 Created disputes with Britain, France, and Israel by
nationalizing the Suez Canal.
Why Nasser..?
 He wanted free education for all
 Unified Egypt with his strong nationalistic ideas which
people loved
 Provided more availability of jobs and removed class
divisions through land reforms
 Improved their quality of life
 Gave Egypt back to Egyptians and eliminated Western
influence
“Compare and contrast the rise to power of one right wing, and
one left wing, leader of a single party or authoritarian state.”
 Thesis: Although Nasser and Hitler were from completely opposite
sides of the political spectrum, the way they both rose to power does
result in some similarities. However, it is inevitable that in most cases
they do differ. This will be shown through the nature of support they
both had, the methods and force they used to gain power, and how
they treated the opposition.
 Nature of Support:
 Hitler:
Mostly gained support from all of Germany…through lies.
 Popular among the unemployed, lower class, middle class, workers etc.
 Promised that life in Germany would get better
 Nasser:
 At first only had a small number of supporters
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“Free Officers”
Originated in the army…didn’t have a public political organization
 Similarities:
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Both gained support by trying to unite their countries
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Hitler: Pure Germans vs. others
Nasser: Egyptians vs. influence from Great Britain in the govt.
Blamed conditions on the previous govt
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Hitler: Rallied Germans to blame failure of WWI on Weimar Repub. And conditions in Germany
were because of the ToV
Nasser: Blamed corruption on the previous govt for the Egyptian loss in the Arab-Israeli War
 Methods/Force used to gain power
 Hitler:
Changed the system from within…legally
 Used proper governmental procedures from the Weimar Republic
 Legal passing of the Enabling Act
 Appointed as chancellor legally
 Nasser:
 Illegal gaining of power
 Led a military coup on the previous government.
 Changed the system from the outside
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 Similarities:
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Both used violence to establish single party state
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Hitler: Reichstag fire-led to arrests of political opponents
Nasser: Crushed Textile Strike (Aug 1952.)- led to arrests of the organizers
Treatment of Opposition
 Hitler:
Purging of non-aryans (Holocaust)
 Purging of own political party (Nigh of the Long
Knives)
 Nasser:
 Didn’t purge and one single group (although country
was in a police state)
 Still had Elections, although the only people that
could run had to be part of the National Union
 Similarities:
 Both expanded the jurisdiction and power of their
police forces (the SS, SA for Hitler…The Egyptian
police and the Minister of the Interior for Nasser)
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 http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography
/Nasser.html
 "Gamal Abdel Nasser." Encyclopedia of World
Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Gale World History In
Context. Web. 6 Jan. 2013.