1. Gamal Abdel Nasser and the Arab Socialist Union
Kellen Irby

2. Outline Rise to Power Formation of Single Party State Successes
Using Foreign Policy
Failures
Treatment of Opposition
Legacy

3. Rise to Power Born in Alexandria in January 1918
In 1938, graduated from the Royal Military Academy and joined the Egyptian Army
Fought in the Arab-Israeli War in 1948
Organized a revolt against the Royal Family in 1952 overthrowing the king bloodlessly
Became deputy of General Neguib, who resigned in 1954 and was succeeded by Nasser

4. Formation of Single-party State
New regime replaced monarchy with single party state(Arab Socialist Republic)
State based on new political elite of military leaders and middle class bureaucrats
Began to make reforms based on Arab Socialism, which was based more on anti-colonialism than class struggle

5. Successes Nationalized the Suez Canal in 1956
Established the United Arab Republic in 1958
Completed the Aswan High Dam in 1970

6. Foreign Policy
Nasser effectively used foreign policy to bolster dictatorial rule
Expelled British imperialists from Egypt
Switched loyalty to USSR when US would not fund Aswan Dam
Lead the Pan-Arab Movement
These bold moves gave Egyptians a sense of pride and place in the modern world

7. Failures
United Arab Republic ended in 1961 when Syrian army units staged a coup
“Egypt’s Vietnam”
Sent a small force to Yemen in support of the anti-Royalist Free Yemen Movement
By the end of the expedition there were 50,000 Egyptian troops in Yemen and victory was not achieved
Oppression of Muslim Brotherhood caused long term social problems

8. Treatment of Opposition
Muslim Brotherhood opposed Nasser because he sought secular solutions to social problems
The Muslim Brotherhood was outlawed by Nasser and many members were imprisoned
Muslim Brotherhood remained organized, with meetings occurring within the prisons
Nasser also kept any other parties from forming

9. Legacy
Nasser’s foreign policy achievements did not compensate for his failure to better the lives of the Egyptian people. By suppressing the opposition so harshly, no real alternative to the Muslim Brotherhood emerged after the eventual fall of a successor dictatorship in Egypt in After Egypt’s first democratic election the Muslim Brotherhood now rules Egypt and is putting into place much of the totalitarian policies started by Gamal Abdel Nasser.

10. Works Cited