NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Muhammad Naguib

Muhammad Naguib (محمد نجيب in Arabic; 20 February 1901 – 29 August 1984) was the first President of the Republic of Egypt. He served as the First President of Egypt from the declaration of the Republic on June 18, 1953 to 14 November 1954. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (492x672, 253 KB) Summary President Mohamed Naguib, the first president of Egypt. ... June 18 is the 169th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (170th in leap years), with 196 days remaining. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... November 14 is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 47 days remaining. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... King Fuad II of Egypt and The Sudan (Ahmed Fuad) was born on 16 January 1952. ... Gamal Abdel Nasser (Arabic: Ø¬Ù…Ø§Ù„ Ø¹Ø¨Ø¯ Ø§Ù„Ù†Ø§ØµØ±) â€Ž (January 15, 1918 â€“ September 28, 1970) was the second President of Egypt after Muhammad Naguib and is considered one of the most important Arab leaders in history. ... February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Map of Sudan with Khartoum Map of Khartoum with Ohmdurman and Bahri Khartoum (Arabic Ø§Ù„Ø®Ø±Ø·ÙˆÙ… al-á¸ªará¹Å«m elephant trunk) is the capital of Sudan, as well as the capital of the state of Khartoum. ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Although technically in Giza, The Great Pyramids have become a symbol of Cairo internationally Cairo (Arabic: Ø§Ù„Ù‚Ø§Ù‡Ø±Ø©; transliterated: al-QÄhirah) is the capital city of Egypt (and previously the United Arab Republic) and has a metropolitan area population of approximately 15. ... Arabic (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, universities, and countries. ... National anthem: Bilady, Bilady, Bilady Official language Arabic Other widely spoken languages English, French Capital and Largest City Cairo President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak Prime Minister Dr Ahmed Nazif Area - Total - % water Ranked 29th 1,001,450 kmÂ² 0. ... The President of the Arab republic of Egypt is the elected Head of State of Egypt. ... June 18 is the 169th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (170th in leap years), with 196 days remaining. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... November 14 is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 47 days remaining. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Early years

Naguib was born in Khartoum, Sudan, then officially a dominion of the Kingdom of Egypt. He was the eldest of nine children of to an Egyptian father Youssef Naguib and a Sudanese mother Zohra Ahmed Osman. He came from a long line of army officers, as his father was serving in the Egyptian army in Sudan. Naguib spent his formative years in Sudan, where as a child ostriches and monkeys were his playmates in a house decorated with hunting trophies like elephant tusks, tiger-skin rugs and rhinoceros and gazelle heads on the wall. Naguib's favourite game, however, was playing at soldiers with his younger brother, Ali. Having built a toy fortress in the front yard, Naguib would spend hours conquering inches of land with his toy soldiers and miniature tanks.
Nevertheless, Naguib's father did not want his sons to follow in his footsteps, believing from his own experience as an officer in the Egyptian army that the army at that time was little more than a group of auxiliaries waiting for British orders. He believed that Naguib could serve Egypt better in civilian life, and he even had Ibrahim Urabi, son of the 1882 revolutionary Ahmed Urabi, speak to Naguib and caution him that by joining the military he would become only "a supervisor in the service of the British."

As a result, Naguib first studied to become a translator, and later in life he earned a law degree, an MA in political science and another MA in civil law. He never completed his doctorate because his career in the army, undertaken in defiance of his father's wishes, by then had begun to take off. Nevertheless, he found the time to polish up his language skills, learning English, French, Italian and German.
Naguib also began to study Hebrew in the 1950s, and soon after the Revolution he ordered that Hebrew be taught at military college and at Cairo and Alexandria universities, realising that the Egyptian army had been handicapped during the 1948 Palestine War by the fact that very few soldiers could interpret Israeli communications.
While studying in Khartoum, Naguib had often been censured and sometimes even whipped by his British tutors for criticising Britain's occupation of Egypt and Sudan. At this time, Naguib chose Napoleon as a role model, even deciding to sleep on the floor instead of on a bed to imitate the great French general. Soon, however, Napoleon was replaced in Naguib's affections by Mustafa Kamel, the founder of Egypt's National Party, and later he found another hero in Saad Zaghlul. Some years after he was ousted from power, Naguib also came to admire Gandhi and Kamal Ataturk.
After the death of Naguib's father in 1916, the family moved to Cairo, while Naguib and Ali finished their studies in Sudan. Map of Sudan with Khartoum Map of Khartoum with Ohmdurman and Bahri Khartoum (Arabic Ø§Ù„Ø®Ø±Ø·ÙˆÙ… al-á¸ªará¹Å«m elephant trunk) is the capital of Sudan, as well as the capital of the state of Khartoum. ... Colonel Ahmad Urabi (1841-1911) was a member of the Egyptian army who revolted against the khedive and the European domination of Egypt in 1879 in what has become known as the Urabi Revolt. ... Political science is a social science discipline that deals with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior. ... Civil law has at least three meanings. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than 6 million people, mainly in Israel, the West Bank, the United States and by Jewish communities around the world. ... Map of Sudan with Khartoum Map of Khartoum with Ohmdurman and Bahri Khartoum (Arabic Ø§Ù„Ø®Ø±Ø·ÙˆÙ… al-á¸ªará¹Å«m elephant trunk) is the capital of Sudan, as well as the capital of the state of Khartoum. ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... Mustafa Kamel (1874 - 1908) was an Egyptian political figure and publisher. ... Saad Zaghlul (also: Saad Zaglul, Sad Zaghlul Pasha ibn Ibrahim, etc. ... Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) (Devanagari: मोहनदास करमचन्द गांधी, Gujarati મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી), called Mahatma Gandhi, was the charismatic leader who brought the cause of Indias independence from British colonial rule to world attention. ... Mustafa Kemal AtatÃ¼rk (1881â€“10 November 1938), until 1934 Mustafa Kemal, Turkish army officer, anti-imperialist and revolutionist statesman, was the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey. ...

Military Career

uards in Cairo, but in 1924 was moved again because of a political association deemed unacceptable by the authorities.

Naguib married in 1927, pursuing his legal studies while continuing a career in the army. By 1931, he was ready to resign from the army, but as a result of an unexpected promotion he decided to turn his attention to his military career once again.
In 1934, he remarried and was transferred to the Coast Guard, where he was employed to chase smugglers across the Sinai desert, mixing with the bedouin and helping treat their illnesses.
In 1940, Naguib was again promoted, and, like mr. However, despite generally favourable relations between Naguib and Farouk, Naguib refused to kiss the king's hand. A brisk hand shake was the best Naguib could offer.
Any illusions Naguib might have had about the nature of Farouk's rule evaporated on 4 February 1942 after a standoff at Abdin Palace in Cairo between the British and the king. In protest at Farouk's concessions to the British, allowing them to choose the prime minister, Naguib sent in his resignation, saying that "since the army was not called upon to defend Your Majesty, I am ashamed to wear this uniform and ask your permission to resign."
On this occasion, Farouk turned down Naguib's resignation, Naguib again attempting to resign in 1951 when Hussein Serri Amer, widely thought to be corrupt, was mad 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Free Officers Movement

In 1949, Naguib secretly joined the Free Officers movement, and a year later he was promoted to the rank of Major-General. The general is considered one of Egypt's few heroes from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and enjoyed wide respect in the country. The Free Officers, led by Colonel Gamal Abd al-Nasser were young members of the military – all under thirty-five and all from peasant or lower middle-class backgrounds. Nasser's goal was to seize power in Egypt from the British-dominated King Farouk I, but he was worried that he and his followers would not be taken seriously; with this in mind, he recruited General Naguib to serve as a useful figurehead.
Despite his disapproval of his fellow military top brass, Naguib remained in the army in order for the Free Officers not to lose their highest- ranking officer and most influential member, although many today argue that his position on the top was merely a figurehead leader to the revolutionary Free Officers Movement to lend credibility to the group.
Finally on 6 January 1952, Naguib won the elections at the army Officers' Club, almost a revolutionary step in itself, since ordinarily the king's appointees held the executive roles in the Club. However, the Free Officers increasing influence in the army, together with Naguib's reputation, resulted in the defeat of the king's nominees, and Naguib won with a landslide victory.
Farouk was contemplating removing Naguib from his post when Egypt was thrown into turmoil following the 26 January Cairo Fires. Meanwhile, the noose was beginning to tighten around the Free Officers, and investigations being carried out to uncover dissidents in the army. The executive committee of the Officers' Club was dissolved, and the Free Officers, brought their plans for a revolution three years forward, taking power in July 1952.

1949 (MCMXLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday. ... The 1948 Arab-Israeli War is referred to as the War of Independence (Hebrew: ×ž×œ×—×ž×ª ×”×¢×¦×ž××•×ª) or as the War of Liberation (Hebrew: ×ž×œ×—×ž×ª ×”×©×—×¨×•×¨) by Israelis. ... Gamal Abdel Nasser (Arabic: جمال عبد الناصر) Gamal Abdel Nasser (January 15, 1918 - September 28, 1970) was the second President of Egypt after Muhammad Naguib and is considered one of the most important Arab leaders in history. ... Farouk of Egypt His Majesty King Farouk of Egypt (Arabic: ÙØ§Ø±ÙˆÙ‚ Ø§Ù„Ø§ÙˆÙ„) â€Ž (February 11, 1920 â€“ March 18, 1965) was the last King of Egypt, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1936. ... In Egypt, the clandestine revolutionary Free Officers Movement was founded by Colonel Gamal Abdul Nasser in the aftermath of Egypts sense of national disgrace from the War of 1948. ...

1952 Revolution

In the 23 July 1952 ‘’coup d'état’’, the Free Officers forced King Farouk to abdicate in favour of his six-month old son King Fuad II. Naguib was appointed, first as Commander-in-Chief of Army, in order to keep the armed forces firmly behind the junior officers' coup. In September, Naguib was appointed Prime Minister of Egypt and a member of the Royal Regent Council, with Nasser serving in the background as Minister of the Interior.

After the coup d'état on 23 July, Naguib was at the forefront of the Free Officer's movement, lending it legitimacy in the eyes of the people, the army, politicians and foreign powers. Within 24 hours of the coup, the RCC had asserted that their movement was a peaceful one, and that Naguib was their leader. Naguib's was a familiar name at the time, unlike those of the other Free Officers, who were too young and too junior in rank to have made a name for themselves.
On 24 July, Naguib met former prime minister Ali Maher to ask him to form a government and communicate the revolutionaries' demands to the king, at that time in Alexandria. On 25 June, Naguib led a group of RCC members to Alexandria to supervise the ousting of the king, the RCC at the time being divided over what Farouk's fate should be. Some wanted him to be put on trial, while others wanted him to abdicate and be sent into exile. Naguib and Nasser supported exile, and after a vote, it was agreed that the former king would be exiled.
Thus, on 26 July, Naguib arrived to say his farewells to the former king, arriving late and catching up with Farouk by boat, a few minutes after the deposed king had set sail. After an awkward silence on the deck of the royal yacht El-Mahrousa, Naguib reminded Farouk that until the 1942 standoff with the British the army had been loyal to the monarchy, but that things had changed since then. Naguib said, "Sir, we were forced to do what we did," to which Farouk replied, "Yes, I know. Your mission is a difficult one. As you know, governing Egypt is not an easy task." Leaving the vessel, Naguib felt pity for Farouk because he knew he would fail in exile, as he had when he was king. "I could not feel joy for his defeat," Naguib later said. Muhammad Naguib (center), with Gamal Abdel Nasser to his right (our left). ... Muhammad Naguib (center), with Gamal Abdel Nasser to his right (our left). ... Gamal Abdel Nasser (Arabic: جمال عبد الناصر) Gamal Abdel Nasser (January 15, 1918 - September 28, 1970) was the second President of Egypt after Muhammad Naguib and is considered one of the most important Arab leaders in history. ... July 23 is the 204th day (205th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 161 days remaining. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... King Fuad II of Egypt and The Sudan (Ahmed Fuad) was born on 16 January 1952. ... Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with 30 days. ... List of Heads of Government of Egypt List of Heads of Government of Southern Region of Egypt Affiliations:- See also:- Egypt Rulers and Heads of State of Egypt Colonial Heads of Egypt Lists of Incumbents Categories: Egypt ... The Interior Minister is a member of a Cabinet in a Government. ...

After the Revolution

After the revolution, the free officers desposed of King Farouk and replaced him with his son King Fuad II with a civilian regent council and government. However, when it was later decided to abolish the monarch system and establish the republic, Ali Maher's government resigned on 17 September 1952 and Naguib was appointed prime minister. King Farouk of Egypt (February 11, 1920 - March 18, 1965) was the penultimate King of Egypt, succeeding his father Fuad I in 1936. ... Fuad II (born January 16, 1952) was King of Egypt from July 26, 1952 to June 18, 1953. ... List of Heads of Government of Egypt List of Heads of Government of Southern Region of Egypt Affiliations:- See also:- Egypt Rulers and Heads of State of Egypt Colonial Heads of Egypt Lists of Incumbents Categories: Egypt ...

The Presidency

When the Republic was declared on 18 June 1953, Naguib was sworn in as the first President of the Republic.
At this time, Naguib had become simultaneously the president, the prime minister and chairman of the Revolution Command Council (RCC) and forming a government mostly composed of army officers. Nasser became deputy prime minister, and it was already apparent that he had a strong grip on domestic affairs. However, Naguib remained the most senior officer in the government and the notional leader of the country and of the RCC, even as a struggle for power was brewing.
Naguib began to clash with other RCC members over how the Revolution's goals should be implemented. He wanted to phase out the political influence of the military and return the country to civilian rule, believing that the role of the military was not to rule the country, but rather to protect those in power. The army, he thought, could interfere to change a corrupt regime, but then it should withdraw.
As Naguib wrote later in his book, Egypt's Fate, "at the age of 36, Abdel-Nasser felt that we could ignore Egyptian public opinion until we had reached our goals, but with the caution of a 53-year-old, I believed that we needed grassroots support for our policies, even if it meant postponing some of our goals. I differed with the younger officers on the means by which to reach our goals, never on the principles."
Nasser, by contrast, thought that any talk of democracy, or of a multi-party system, or of the withdrawal of the army from politics, would allow the Wafd, the Muslim Brotherhood and the other political parties to regain the ground they had lost in 1952.
In addition, although on paper Naguib appeared to wield a lot of power, being simultaneously president and prime minister, his authority was curtailed by the fact that he needed a majority vote of the RCC for any decision to be taken, and his opinion was often ignored. The offices he occupied meant that Naguib was responsible for the government's decisions, even though he rarely sanctioned or supported them, and this meant that he was increasingly becoming merely the puppet of others. Eventually, Naguib presented Nasser, by now the real power in the RCC, with an ultimatum: either he was given real power, or he would resign.
In late 1954, however, Nasser accused Naguib of supporting the recently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and of harbouring dictatorial ambitions. A brief power struggle broke out between Naguib and Nasser for control of the military and of Egypt. Nasser ultimately won the struggle and managed to forced Naguib to resign from the presidency of Egypt in November 1954.
On 25 February 1954, the RCC announced Naguib's resignation as president, saying that Naguib was "demanding absolute authority, which is not acceptable."
Street protests brought Naguib back to power the next day, but despite mass support and his reappointment, Naguib's days in power were numbered. Though reinstated as president on 26 February, Nasser now became prime minister and RCC chairman, Naguib's office therefore becoming largely ceremonial. Nine months later, Naguib refused to continue the charade, and on 14 November he stepped down for the last time, this time into a life of dispossession and oblivion. June 18 is the 169th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (170th in leap years), with 196 days remaining. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The President of the Arab republic of Egypt is the elected Head of State of Egypt. ... In Post-Great War Egypt, the term refers to a delegation, specifically one that had the direct goal of achieving the complete and total independence of Egypt. ... The Muslim Brotherhood or The Muslim Brothers (Arabic: al-Ikhwan al-muslimoon, full title Ø¬Ù…Ø§Ø¹Ø© Ø§Ù„Ø¥Ø®ÙˆØ§Ù† Ø§Ù„Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…ÙŠÙ† Jamaat al-ikhwan al-muslimin, The Society of the Muslim Brothers, often simply Ø§Ù„Ø¥Ø®ÙˆØ§Ù† al-Ikhwan, the Brotherhood) is the name of several Islamist organizations in the Middle East. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Muslim Brotherhood or The Muslim Brothers (Arabic: al-Ikhwan al-muslimoon, full title Ø¬Ù…Ø§Ø¹Ø© Ø§Ù„Ø¥Ø®ÙˆØ§Ù† Ø§Ù„Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…ÙŠÙ† Jamaat al-ikhwan al-muslimin, The Society of the Muslim Brothers, often simply Ø§Ù„Ø¥Ø®ÙˆØ§Ù† al-Ikhwan, the Brotherhood) is the name of several Islamist organizations in the Middle East. ... February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Gamal Abdel Nasser (Arabic: جمال عبد الناصر) Gamal Abdel Nasser (January 15, 1918 - September 28, 1970) was the second President of Egypt after Muhammad Naguib and is considered one of the most important Arab leaders in history. ...

After the Presidency

Following his resignation, Naguib was then isolated by President Nasser in a villa owned by Zienab Al-Wakiel, wife of Mustafa an-Nahhas Pasha, ex-Prime Minister of Egypt. Naguib was released from his isolation in 1982 by President Mubarak. He died in 1984.
Mustafa al- Nahhas Pasha (1879 - 1965) was an Egyptian political figure. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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