Group Members:Jenny Madrid, Lauren Nguyen, & Rochelle Trachier

**Decolonization came about basically because:**Decolonization came about basically because:

a. After WWII, European countries lacked a. After WWII, European countries lacked the wealth and the wealth and political support necessary to political support necessary to hold back revoltshold back revolts

b. Powers of the U.S and Soviet Union b. Powers of the U.S and Soviet Union against colonialismagainst colonialism

•In 1952, the last of British kings of Egypt was overthrown

•Egyptians were

1) illiterate

2) poorly paid

3) largely ignored laborers/rural farmers

British Soldiers

Wife of prayer leader

**Before Revolution headed by Nasser**Before Revolution headed by Nasser 1. 70% of cultivable land owned by 6% of

population 2. 98% peasants malnourished 3. British interference in all domestic affairs 4. .5% of population (Feudalists/capitalists)

dominated society; the majority, consisting of peasants, craftsmen, merchants, and laborers, suffered from limited ownership, low incomes, low education rate, health neglected (98% w/ eye diseases), and poverty.

**After Revolution**After Revolution

1.People gained stature and rights 2.Revolutionary principles based on

rights of Egyptian people 3.Better education; jobs 4.More distribution of wealth

•Government struggle at beginning of economic reform

•massive investment in communications and transportation .

•More trade—Suez Canal

•Small farm raised cow, water buffalos, chicken

•Manufacturing controlled by the state

•Due to growing population limited arable land for agriculture

•Warm weather supplies enough water for several crops a year

•Agriculture: sugar and cotton; (others) rice, beans, sugarcane.

•Nile valley fertile land

•Natural resource:petroleum, natural gas,crude oil in Gulf of Suez.

•Oil and gas accounted for approximately 7% economy $$

•Egypt has no democracy

•Old political parties were abolished in 1953

•1954: the rise of Nasser to power

•instrumental in getting the British to evacuate the Suez Canal

•establishing a Marxist democracy in Egypt

• Egypt was active in promoting Arab unity against Israel

•The new government focused on land reform (destroying land as a power base and redistributing it to poor peasants)

•It shifted capital and resources to industry and businesses, focusing on a restructuring process to create internal resources.

•marked the beginning of an economic restructuring for domestic purposes - to provide stability and create a power base for the state.

•Scientific socialismScientific socialism- central planning guarantee that these resources would be utilized efficiently. Creating a new economic policy. Through Arab unity, wealth could be used to improve the standard of living throughout the middle east. Natural resources and major industries would have to be nationalized

•Pan-Arabism- a belief in Arab unity

•1954: the rise of Nasser to power

•instrumental in getting the British to evacuate the Suez Canal

•establishing a Marxist democracy in Egypt

**Gender Issues:**Gender Issues:

1. Before virtually no rights to women, after established social justice- no exploitation, cruelty, etc.

2. First vote in 1957 3. Constitution on 1956 granted women

equal rights 4. Employment, education, political

rights-all gained