Modern Egypt

British Rule (1882–1952)

In 1882, Britain occupied Egypt — officially to protect its investments in the Suez Canal (opened in 1869). Egypt became a de facto British colony, although formally independent (from 1922). Egyptian nationalism steadily grew, led by figures like Saad Zaghloul.

Revolution 1952 & Nasser

On July 23, 1952, a group of young officers (the "Free Officers") led by Gamal Abdel Nasser overthrew King Farouk. Nasser became a hero of the Arab world: He nationalized the Suez Canal (1956), built the Aswan High Dam with Soviet help, and propagated Pan-Arabism. The defeat in the Six-Day War of 1967 against Israel was a severe blow.

Sadat & Camp David

Nasser's successor Anwar Sadat made a 180-degree turn: He opened Egypt to Western investments (Infitah policy), concluded the historic peace with Israel in 1979 (Camp David) — the first peace treaty between an Arab state and Israel. For this, he received the Nobel Prize — and paid with his life: In 1981, he was assassinated by Islamist extremists.

Mubarak & Revolution 2011

Hosni Mubarak ruled for 30 years (1981–2011) — an era of stability, but also stagnation, corruption, and oppression. On January 25, 2011, the Egyptian Revolution began: Millions gathered in Tahrir Square and forced Mubarak's resignation. After a turbulent transition period (Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood), Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sisi took over the presidency in 2014 and has since ruled authoritatively, but with economic modernization (new capital, Suez Canal expansion).