Comprehensive notes for IB History paper 3 topic "Africa and the Middle East" -- looking at Egypt, mandatory Palestine, Arab-Israeli conflicts such as the Suez crisis, Turkey, Iran, etc. I got a 7/7 on HL History.
- Hopwood:
- Nasser became a symbol of struggle against Western domination →
the most popular leader Arab leader of modern times
- Arab unity was hard to achieve because Arab states were in different phases
of political evolution
- 1967 War: controversy about if Nasser actually intended to strike/expected
Israel to react
- Sadat placed faith “almost entirely” in the USA
- Thompson
- Egypt was totally unprepared for the 1967 War → didn't expect
Israel to respond?
- Infitah’s effects were “profound”
- Economic situation contributed to rise of Islamism
- Alienated population due to alignment with USA
GAMAL ABDEL NASSER
➔ 1952 - 1970
➔ 1952: military coup / revolution against King Farouk carried out by Free Officers’
movement - colonels Neguib + Nasser
➔ Monarchy abolished + republic established → Neguib as President but
Nasser quickly assumed power
◆ Other political parties + movements like Wafd banned
◆ Complete control of communication + media
◆ Cult of leadership established → radio was state-controlled +
broadcast to other states to garner support
◆ One-party state: he thought poverty would lead to people voting for
communist party or Muslim Brotherhood → Arab Socialist Union
(ASU)
◆ Protests were brutally crushed
, ◆ Mukhaberat: intelligence service
➔ Made Egypt a Progressive Arab Socialist State
◆ Secularisation, nationalism were core
◆ “Egyptianising” country following Ottoman + British occupation
◆ Forced reforms of Cairo’s prestigious Al-Azhar university to be secular
◆ Paradox of anti-imperialism but modernisation
➔ Social
◆ Enfranchisement of women → allowed to vote for the first time in
1957
◆ Education was provided for free allowing rates of education + literacy to rise
rapidly
◆ Standard of living improved
➔ Industrialisation + economy
◆ “Controlled capitalism”
◆ State-funded reforms: steelworks, cotton, electricity → raised
employment
● Still not enough employment for growing educated class
◆ Exports of cotton etc. did not generate enough revenue
◆ Redistribution of land appropriated from Turks given to Egyptian farmers;
though these were very small
◆ Military spending
◆ Reliance on foreign aid despite reluctance to do so
◆ 1967 war strained economy → 1968 ‘30 March Program’ which
reversed socialist policies of previous years
● Increase exports, strengthen wealthy class, import luxury goods
● This caused economic polarity + inequality that lasted decades
➔ Nationalisation + pan-Arabism
◆ Wanted to strengthen military against Israel + rid Egypt of colonial influence
◆ 1960: building of Aswan Dam for hydroelectric power
◆ 1956: nationalisation of Suez Canal → sparked international
attention
● Nasser became international face of decolonisation (Hopwood)
● Victory for Egypt + all Arab states
◆ Helped all Arab states + Egypt develop a sense of unity + nationalist pride
● Aimed to unite states under Arab nationalism/pan-Arabism
● United Arab Republic (UAR) with Syria: 1958 - 1961; unsuccessful
◆ Cannot be too anti-imperialist due to need for foreign aid + funding
, ● By Suez Crisis, Nasser had shifted to USSR support from USA
→ still anticommunist
➔ Failures
◆ 1967 war: Egyptian defeat humiliates Arab states as a whole
◆ Interest fading in pan-Arabism + unity
● Syria left UAR in 1961
◆ States turning to Islam as a way to unite citizens → goes against his
secular beliefs
◆ 1968 ‘30 March Program’ led to economic disparity
ANWAR SADAT
➔ 1970 - 1981
➔ Took over at a time of economic stagnation, social unrest + political
insecurity → sought to reverse Nasser’s policies
➔ Political
◆ New constitution, reduced power of military + ASU (Arab Socialist Union)
● Ended one-party state but still maintained most of the power;
many dissatisfied by limited freedom of expression →
National Democratic Party (NDP)
◆ Changed Egypt from USSR ally to USA (accepted rearmament first)
● Soviet-supplied air missiles used during 1973 war; initially eliminated
Israeli air force but eventually led to another defeat
◆ USA support assured Egypt received funding + security as long as they kept
peace in Middle East
◆ Paved way for cooperation, stability, international support
◆ Religion entered political life + undid years of secular, modern
policies → possibly affected foreign relations with West
➔ Foreign policy
◆ After 1967 War there was a conflict over control of Suez Canal which drained
resources; Sadat wanted peace with Israel
◆ Wanted Sinai back from Israel, was willing to formally recognise it to do so
◆ One of the reasons he turned to US support was so that they could put
pressure on Israel to enter negotiations
◆ Stalemate led to his decision for 1973 War → eventually led to more
friendliness from West, broke stalemate
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