Egypt Egypt During the War, 1939-45
Temple of Abu Simbel (Abu Sunbul) with figures of Ramesses II, 1304-1237 B.C.
Courtesy Boris Boguslavsky
With the beginning of World War II, Egypt again became vital
to Britain's defense. Britain had to assure, if not the
wholehearted support of Egypt, at least its acquiescence in
British military and political policies during the crisis. For
its part, Egypt considered the war a European conflict and hoped
to avoid being entangled in it. As one Axis victory succeeded
another, Egyptians grew increasingly convinced that Germany would
win the war. Some were pleased at the prospect of a German
victory, not because they were attracted to the Nazi ideology,
but because they viewed any enemy of their enemy, Britain, as a
friend. Meanwhile, the British were determined to prevent an
Egyptian-German alliance.
The war gave the Wafd the opportunity to return to power. The
Wafd set out to convince the British that they would not lead an
anti-British insurrection during the wartime crisis. Uncertain of
the loyalty of Prime Minister Ali Maher and convinced that the
king was intriguing against them, the British decided to entrust
the Egyptian government to the Wafd. On February 2, 1942, with
the German army under General Erwin Rommel advancing toward
Egypt, Lampson, the British ambassador, ordered the king to ask
Mustafa Nahhas, the Wafdist leader, to form a government. The
incident clearly demonstrated that real power in Egypt resided in
British hands and that the king and the political parties existed
only so long as Britain was prepared to tolerate them. It also
eroded popular support for the Wafd because it showed that the
Wafd would make an alliance with the British for purely political
reasons. The Wafd's credibility was eroded further in 1943 when a
disaffected former Wafd member, Makram Ubayd, published his
Black Book. The book contained details of Nahhas's corrupt
dealings over the years and seriously damaged his reputation.
The Wafdist government fell in 1944, and the Wafd boycotted
the elections of 1945, which brought a government of Liberal
Constitutionalists and Saadists to power. As World War II ended,
the Wafd was splintered into several competing camps. The
political initiative and popular support swung toward the
militant organizations on the right, such as the Muslim
Brotherhood and Young Egypt.
Data as of December 1990
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