Anwar al-Sadat

Anwar al- Sadat , 1918-81, Egyptian political leader and president (1970-81). He entered (1936) Abbasia Military Academy, where he became friendly with Gamal Abdal Nasser and other fellow cadets committed to Egyptian nationalism. A German agent during World War II, he was imprisoned (1942) by the British but escaped after two years in jail. He was again jailed (1946-49) for participating in terrorist acts against pro-British Egyptian officials. Sadat took part in the bloodless coup (1952) that deposed King Farouk. Between 1952 and 1968, he held a variety of government positions, including director of army public relations; secretary-general of the National Union, Egypt's only political party; and president of the national assembly. In 1969 he was chosen to be Nasser's vice president, and after Nasser's death (1970), he succeeded to the presidency. Less charismatic than his predecessor, Sadat was nevertheless able to establish himself as Egypt's strongman and a leader of the Arab world. He assumed the premiership in 1973 and in October of that same year led Egypt into war with Israel. He became an Arab hero when Egyptian troops recaptured a small part of the Sinai Peninsula, taken by the Israelis in 1967. A pragmatist, Sadat indicated his willingness to consider a negotiated settlement with Israel and shared the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize with Menachim Begin as a result of the Camp David accords . He was assassinated by Muslim extremists, who were opposed to his peace initiative with Israel.

Sadat, Muhammad Anwar al- (b. 25 Dec. 1918, d. 6 Oct. 1981). President of Egypt 1970–81 Born in Mit Abu al-Kum, he graduated from the Cairo Military Academy in 1938, and in 1942 was imprisoned for plotting to expel the British from Egypt with the help of the Germans. He escaped, and after the war joined the Free Officers movement which in 1952 deposed King Farouk. As a close friend and ally of President Nasser he became Vice-president in 1969, and was chosen to succeeded him as President. He restored relations with more conservative Arab states such as Saudi Arabia. In an effort to improve relations with the USA, he expelled around 20,000 Soviet advisers. He gradually introduced market-oriented reforms and encouraged foreign investment, though this was not universally popular as it greatly increased domestic income inequalities. Owing to Israeli refusals to vacate the Sinai peninsula occupied by them since the third Six Day War (1967), he launched the Yom Kippur War in October 1973. He thus restored Egyptian self-confidence and emerged with his personal popularity sufficiently strengthened to enter peace negotiations with Israel. His desire for peace was derived from his pragmatism, since he realized that Egypt could not regain the Sinai by force, and was too poor to afford current high military expenditure. His extraordinary visit to Jerusalem to address the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) in 1977 inaugurated a series of US-sponsored talks, culminating in the peace agreement at Camp David in 1978. This attracted bitter hostility from the other Arab states and the PLO, who withdrew diplomatic relations and financial support. He was shot by four assassins while reviewing a military parade. He had received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978.

Sadat, (Muhammad) Anwar al- (1918–81) Egyptian statesman, President (1970–81). He broke with the foreign policies of his predecessor President Nasser, for example by dismissing the Soviet military mission to Egypt, removing the ban on political parties, and introducing measures to decentralize Egypt's political structure and diversify the economy. He later worked to achieve peace in the Middle East, visiting Israel (1977), and attending talks with Prime Minister Begin at Camp David in 1978, the year they shared the Nobel Peace Prize. Also in that year he founded the National Democratic Party, with himself as leader. He was assassinated by members of the Islamic Jihad.