Egyptian Revolution

On July 23, 1952, the Free Officers Movement, led by Naguib and Nasser, seized power in a coup and overthrew the Muhammad Ali dynasty. The process of change in Egypt that took place over the past decade is called the Egyptian Revolution. Since the end of the 19th century, under the monarchy and British military rule, the Egyptian people had suffered exploitation and discrimination brought about by feudal land ownership and foreign privileges, and the overthrow of the monarchy and breaking away from British military rule was a national issue throughout Egypt's modern history. After World War II, there was already a growing national movement in Egypt calling for the abolition of the Anglo-Egyptian Military Alliance Treaty (concluded in 1936), as well as the struggle of farmers and workers against the large landowners and foreign-owned corporations. The Free Officers Movement, which overthrew the monarchy in a coup and established the Egyptian Republic, played a key role in promoting the revolution and restoring national independence and democracy for the Egyptian people.

The Revolutionary Committee under Naguib's leadership began a social reform project, eliminating the old ruling forces by abolishing the old constitution, issuing land reform orders, and dissolving political parties. However, the revolutionary government was initially forced to face constant threats of the revolution collapsing due to internal conflicts within the Free Officers and external military pressure from the West. The Muslim Brotherhood, the only religious social movement organization legalized under the revolutionary government and with its ability to mobilize the masses, exerted a strong influence within the Revolutionary Committee, deepening internal conflicts within the committee over the direction of the revolution. In February 1954, the Muslim Brotherhood attempted to assassinate Nasser, but failed, the Brotherhood was dissolved, and Naguib was ousted. From this point on, Nasser became the supreme leader of the revolution, and the revolution entered a new phase.

While working on the first land reform and industrial development, Nasser managed to achieve the complete withdrawal of British troops, and countered the military crackdown of the West by moving closer to the socialist bloc and strengthening solidarity with non-aligned countries. Following the completion of the British withdrawal in June 1956, Nasser announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal, the largest foreign-owned company, in July of the following year, proclaiming Egypt's complete independence. At the same time, nationalist movements were intensifying throughout the Arab world, and in this situation, Britain, France, and Israel attempted a military invasion of Egypt in October (the Second Arab-Israeli War). However, the united resistance of the Egyptian people and the support of Egypt from all Arab, Asian, and African nations caused the invasion to fail, and Egypt achieved a political victory and complete independence. In response to the US military intervention in the Arab world that began with the Eisenhower Doctrine in 1957, a series of events occurred in succession, including the merger of Egypt and Syria in 1958, the Iraqi Revolution, the blockade by the people of Jordan and Lebanon against US and British military intervention, and the Yemeni Revolution (formerly North Yemen) in 1962. National movements across the Arab world began to link together and develop. Nasser placed emphasis on the unity of the Arab people (Arab nationalism) and positioned the Egyptian Revolution at the core of the national liberation movement across the Arab world, thereby advancing the revolution.

However, in the 1960s, Egypt began to alienate its people through bureaucracy despite its shift to "socialism," and began to strengthen its tendency toward great power in the Arab world, as shown by its failed merger with Syria (1961). Egypt's political and economic crisis reached a peak with the protracted civil war in North Yemen (1962-67) and the Six-Day War of 1967, and the revolution began to shift toward Egyptian economic developmentism.

[Susumu Fujita]

"Modern Egypt Theory" by Nakaoka Saneki (included in Eyes on Asia 56, 1979, Institute of Developing Economies)" "Understanding the Third World 2: The Middle East" edited by Eguchi Bokuro, Okakura Koshiro, and Suzuki Shoshi (1984, Otsuki Shoten)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1952年7月23日、ナギブ、ナセルらを指導者とする「自由将校団」はクーデターによって権力を掌握、ムハンマド・アリー王朝を打倒した。この前後から十数年間にわたるエジプトにおける変革過程をエジプト革命という。エジプト民衆は19世紀末以来、王制とイギリスの軍事支配の下で、封建的大土地所有制と外国人特権のもたらす搾取と差別に苦しみ、王制打倒と英軍事支配からの脱却はエジプト近代史を貫く民族的課題だった。第二次世界大戦後すでにエジプトでは、イギリス・エジプト軍事同盟条約（1936年締結）廃止を要求する国民運動や、大地主層・外資系大企業と対決する農民・労働者の闘争が高まりつつあった。クーデターで王制を打倒し、エジプト共和制を樹立した自由将校団は、革命推進の中核として、エジプト人の民族的自立、民主主義回復の役割を担っていた。

　ナギブが指導する革命委員会は、旧憲法の廃止、農地改革令、政党解散令を通じて旧支配勢力を排除しつつ社会改革事業に着手した。だが革命政府は当初、自由将校団内部の対立や欧米の軍事的外圧を前に絶えず革命挫折(ざせつ)の危機に直面せざるをえなかった。革命政権下で唯一合法化された宗教的社会運動団体で広範な大衆結集力を有するムスリム同胞団は、革命委員会内部へ強力な影響力を及ぼし、革命の方向をめぐり委員会の内部対立が深まった。1954年2月ムスリム同胞団はナセル暗殺を企てたが失敗、同胞団は解体され、ナギブは失脚した。これを境にナセルが革命の最高責任者となり、革命は新段階を迎えた。

　ナセルは、第一次農地改革や産業振興に取り組む一方、英軍完全撤退実現にこぎつけ、また欧米の軍事的締め付けに対し社会主義圏への接近や非同盟諸国との連帯強化で対抗した。1956年6月英軍撤退完了に続いて、翌7月ナセルは、最大の外資系企業であるスエズ運河の国有化を宣言、エジプトの完全な自主独立を打ち出した。おりから全アラブ世界では民族運動が激化してきており、そうした情勢下でイギリス、フランス、イスラエルは10月、エジプトへの軍事侵攻を企てた（第二次中東戦争）。だが、エジプト国民の結束した抵抗と全アラブやアジア・アフリカ諸国民のエジプト支援の前に3国の侵攻は失敗、エジプトは政治的に勝利して完全な自主独立を達成した。57年アイゼンハワー・ドクトリンで始まったアラブ世界への米軍事介入に対しても、58年のエジプト・シリア合併、イラク革命、ヨルダン・レバノン民衆の米英軍事介入阻止、さらには62年のイエメン革命（旧北イエメン）が相次いで生起し、全アラブの民族運動が相互に結び付いて展開し始めた。ナセルはアラブ人民の一体性（アラブ民族主義）を重視しエジプト革命を全アラブ民族解放運動の中核に位置づけることによって、革命の前進を図った。

　だがエジプトは、1960年代に入り、「社会主義」化と裏腹の官僚主義による民衆疎外や、シリアとの合併失敗（1961）が示すようなアラブ世界での大国主義的傾向を強め始めた。北イエメン内戦長期化（1962～67）と67年第三次中東戦争でエジプトの政治的・経済的危機は頂点に達し、革命はエジプト経済開発主義へ変節し始めた。

［藤田　進］

『中岡三益著『現代エジプト論』（『アジアを見る眼56』所収・1979・アジア経済研究所）』▽『江口朴郎・岡倉古志郎・鈴木正四監修『第三世界を知る2　中東の世界』（1984・大月書店）』

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