A military history of modern Egypt : from the Ottoman Conquest to the Ramadan War

Annotation. Egypt has one of the oldest civilizations and proudest national histories in the world, but most military histories treat it as a mere battleground for other great imperial powers such as the Ottoman Empire, the French, and the British. In a lively and stirring narrative, this work tells the untold story of the Egyptian experience. It looks at the lives of Egyptian soldiers fighting at home and abroad, and shows the roles those soldiers and their leaders have played in Middle-Eastern and world history for 500 years--especially in the convulsions that have transformed the Muslim world during the past two centuries. Beginning with an overview of Egypt's ancient and medieval heritage, the book then explores Ottoman military rule, explaining how a tiny Turkish-speaking minority maintained absolute power by keeping military knowledge out of the grasp of native Egyptians. Readers will see how Napoleon's failed Egyptian campaign of 1798 introduced the nation to Europe but, more important, brought modern Western influences to Egypt. During the 19th century, new arms and tactics and the rising force of nationalism transformed Egypt as the empire of the Ottoman Turks slowly decayed. Independence was thwarted by the British, who took over the country in the 1880s to secure links to India. Yet the British paved the way for independence, retraining and strengthening the Egyptian military to make it the strongest and most nationalist force in the country. Finally, McGregor's closing chapters look at Arab nationalism, and at the Egyptian army in the wars of the late 20th century In defining the scope of his military history of Egypt, McGregor (director, Aberfoyle International Security, a Canada-based agency "specializing in strategic and political issues of the Islamic world") has sought to focus on military forces serving the various rulers of Egypt from 1517, the Ottoman conquest, to the Arab-Israeli wars, as opposed to those who may have fought on Egyptian territory but had little to do with the Egyptians themselves, such as Bernard Montgomery or Erwin Rommel. The work describes the role of the Egyptian military in shaping Middle East history and that of the wider world and also considers the on-the-ground experiences of those who fought the battles and wars described Andrew Mcgregor. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [293]-297) And Index.