Free Officers Movement

In Egypt, the clandestine revolutionary Free Officers Movement was founded by Colonel Gamal Abdul Nasser in the aftermath of Egypt's sense of national disgrace from the War of 1948. It was composed of young junior army officers committed to unseating the Egyptian monarchy and its British advisors. Nasser formed a coordinating committee (1949), of which he was acclaimed head (1950). The Free Officers Committee enlisted General Muhammad Naguib as a public figurehead in preparation for the successful coup of July 23, 1952.

Related Topics:
Egypt - Gamal Abdul Nasser - Unseating the Egyptian monarchy - Muhammad Naguib - July 23 - 1952

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The nine men who had constituted themselves as the Committee of the Free Officers Movement and led the 1952 Revolution were Lieutenant Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser, Major Abdul Hakim Amer, Lieutenant Colonel Anwar El-Sadat, Major Salah Salem, Major Kamal ad Din Husayn, Wing Commander Gamal Salem, Squadron Leader Hassan Ibrahim, Major Khalid Muhi ad Din, and Wing Commander Abd al Latif al Baghdadi. Major Husayn ash Shafii and Lieutenant Colonel Zakariyya Muhi ad Din joined the committee later.

Related Topics:
Gamal Abdel Nasser - Abdul Hakim Amer - Anwar El-Sadat - Salah Salem - Kamal ad Din Husayn - Gamal Salem - Hassan Ibrahim - Khalid Muhi ad Din - Abd al Latif al Baghdadi

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Similar movements were organized by other Arab politicians seeking to mimick Nasser'a assent. For example, Libyan president Muammar al-Qaddafi used a similar group to overthrow the Libyan King Idris in 1969, and the leaders of the Syrian Ba'ath Party used a similar group to overthrow the Nasser organized union between Egypt and Syria (see United Arab Republic) in 1961. In Saudi Arabia during the 1960's the Saudi Prince Talal used a similar idea, the Free Princes Movement in an unsuccessful effort to overthrow his country's conservative monarchy. He was exiled to Egypt as a result and was given asylum by Nasser.

Related Topics:
Libya - Muammar al-Qaddafi - King Idris - Syria - Ba'ath Party - United Arab Republic - Saudi Arabia - Prince Talal

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The Free Officers Movement can be seen in context in the entries for Nasser and Naguib.

Related Topics:
Nasser - Naguib

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The name was consciously assumed by opposition leaders in Saddam Hussein's Iraq, led by Brigadier-General Najib al-Salihi, who signed a confederation agreement with the Assyrian National Congress on June 15, 2002.

Related Topics:
Saddam Hussein - Iraq - Najib al-Salihi

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