Figure 1.--This is King Farouq in an undated portrait. It looks to have been taken about the time here he became king, about 1936.

Fouad become Sultan, but was consided a British puppet by most nationalists. Sa'ad Zaghloul and the Wafd Party during World War I demanded autonomy which the British rejected (1918). The British arrested and deported Fouad to Malta. This caused anti-British riots. After the War, the British ended the protectorate and recognized Egyptian independence (1922), although retaimed control over the government, economy, amd most critically the Suez Canal. Fouad was proclaimed King of Egypt (March 1922). Foaud I was Egypt's first constitutional monarch. An Anglo-Egyptian Treaty addressed the complete withdrawl of the British (1936). British withdrawl was, howver, delayed by NAZI remilitarization and the drift toward war in Europe. It was a dangerous time for Britain to abandon such a strategic position. The British thus continued to station troops in Egypt and support the royal Government. The Italians and Germans attempted to seize the Suez Canal in the capaigns in the Western Desert (1940-42). After World War II, Egypt achieved complete independence. Prince Farouk was the only son of Fouad I, He was born in Cairo (1920). He was educated Cairo and then the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. He was at first popular seceeded to the Egyptian throne (1936). He was largely seen as a dedicated and promising young monarch. The struggle of the monarchy with populist forces dominated by Wafd Party soon emerged. King Farouk moved away from progressive reform to absolutism, and debauchery. Egypt's military reverses in the First Arab-Isreali War (1948-49) destroyed his reputation. He was deposed by Arab nationsalists led by Col. Nassar who established a republic (1952).

Fouad (1922-36)

Fouad become Sultan, but was consided a British puppet by most nationalists. Sa'ad Zaghloul and the Wafd Party during World War I demanded autonomy which the British rejected (1918). The British arrested and deported Fouad to Malta. This caused anti-British riots. After the War, the British ended the protectorate and recognized Egyptian independence (1922), although retaimed control over the government, economy, amd most critically the Suez Canal. Fouad was proclaimed King of Egypt (March 1922). Foaud I was Egypt's first constitutional monarch. An Anglo-Egyptian Treaty addressed the complete withdrawl of the British (1936). British withdrawl was, howver, delayed by NAZI remilitarization and the drift toward war in Europe. It was a dangerous time for Britain to abandon such a strategic position. The British thus continued to station troops in Egypt and support the royal Government.

King Farouk (1936-52)

Prince Farouk was the only son of Fouad I. He was born in Cairo at Abdeen Palace, Cairo (1920). He was the eldest child of Sultan Fuad I (to be King Fuad I) and his second wife, Nazli Sabri. He was of primarily Circassian (Caucasian) discent, with some Turkish, French, and Albanian ancestry. Farouk was educated in Cairo and then the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. He was at first popular when he seceeded to the Egyptian throne at age 16 years (1936). There was no regency. He was largely seen as a dedicated and promising young monarch. The young king quickly became enamored of a glamorous, extragent royal lifestyle. Monarch gave him access to substantial wealth in a very poor country. As king he owned thousands of acres of land, dozens of palaces, and hundreds of vehicles. The young king began making trips to Europe on grand shopping extravaganzas. As a result of the British, there was a largely free and vocal press in Egypt reporting on this. As his behavior became well known, his subjects who mostly ekeded out a bare existence, soon changed their opinion. A struggle of the monarchy with populist forces dominated by Wafd Party soon emerged as the major issue in Eyptian politics. The King's extravagant even vulgar behavior undrmined any chance he had of competing with populist forces a well of making an alliance with Islamic fundamentalists. The King as his popularity declined moved away from progressive reform to absolutism and debauchery. World War II broke out in Europe when Hitler and Stalin invaded Poland (September 1939). The fighting was at first fasr away from Egypt. Italy entered the War after the Germans had largely defeated France (June 1940). Italy mintained a massive army in its Libyan colony which bordered Egypt. The Italians and Germans attempted to seize the Suez Canal as part of the Western Desert campaign (1940-42). During World War II when most Egyptians had to endure hardships, increasing ctiticism was levelled at Farouk for his conspicous lifestyle. He even insisted on burning the lights at his Alexandria palace despite the city blackout as a result of the German and Italian bombing was severly criticized. After World War II, Britain granted Egypt complete independence. World War II, however, may have been a small matter. It was Egypt's military reverses in the First Arab-Isreali War (1948-49) that shocked Eyptians. The public could not understand how thecJews without an army could havedefeated the substantial and well equipped Egyptian Army. This destroyed the King'a already frayed reputation. As the Egyptian leader, in the popular mind he was held responsible. And while Egyptians continued to lanuish in poverty, the King continued his opulent lifestyle. He raised eyebrows when he purchased the pear-shaped 94-carat Star of the East Diamond and a fancy-coloured oval-cut diamond from jeweller Harry Winston, and it was the final straw which doomed his reign (1951). He was deposed by Arab nationsalists led by Col. Nassar who then declared a republic (1952). Ironically the very people who lost the War seized power, but the Army managed to blam the loss on the King.

Created: 2:12 AM 8/18/2008
Last updated: 10:17 AM 3/14/2018