Nasser, Gamal Abd al-

Nasser, Gamal Abd al- ( Gamal Abd al- Nasir) (b. 15 Jan. 1918, d. 28 Sept. 1970). President of Egypt 1954–70 Born in Alexandria, he was commissioned into the army in 1938 and became an instructor at the Cairo Military Academy. He developed plans with fellow officers to overthrow King Farouk from 1945–6, and for that purpose helped found the Free Officers movement, which quickly gained momentum during Egypt's hapless performance in the war against the newly created state of Israel (1948–9). He took a crucial part in the successful coup of 1952. Under his fellow officer Neguib, he became Minister of the Interior and ordered a large-scale crackdown on his opponents.

After a bitter power-struggle, Nasser overcame Neguib and became President on 17 November 1954. His personal integrity led him to reduce government corruption, carry out land reforms, and introduce some social provisions. Shunned by the pro-Israeli USA, and opposed to the former colonial power, Britain, he bought arms from the USSR, and built the Aswan High Dam with Soviet help, following the withdrawal of Western aid. His decision to nationalize the Suez Canal was highly popular at home, but sparked off the Suez Crisis. A leader of pan-Arabism, he founded the short-lived United Arab Republic with Syria, and encouraged further attempts at Arab unity. For a while he was regarded as the patron and protector of socialist independence movements throughout Africa and Arabia, but the popularity of Nasserism began to fade. At home more extreme left-wing groups criticized him and forced him to take an increasingly hostile attitude to Israel. When the latter retaliated by launching the Six Day War (1967) his air force was destroyed and his army left in disarray. For the next three years he sought to re-establish links with the USA and was starting to move towards an agreement with Israel. After his death he was succeeded by Sadat.