Soldiers, spies, and statesmen : Egypt’s road to revolt

Revolutions are difficult to understand, let alone predict. Egypt's revolt last year was no exception. The military's abandonment of Mubarak confused many observers, who had always assumed that the leader and the generals stood or fell together. But as the violence of the transitional period discredited the armed forces, academics fell back in relief on the same age-old assumptions about officers who rule from behind the scenes and change the figures on stage to preserve the status quo.In a challenge to this conventional view, Hazem Kandil presents the revolt as the latest episode in an ongoing power struggle between the three components of Egypt's authoritarian regime: the military, the security services and the political apparatus. Through a detailed study of the interactions within this invidious triangle over six decades of war, conspiracies, and sociopolitical transformations, the book presents the first systematic analysis of how Egypt metamorphosed from a military to a police state, and what that means for the future of its revolution. Revolutions are difficult to understand and almost impossible to predict. Egyptʹs 2011 revolt was no exception. The militaryʹs abandonment of Mubarak -- a turning point for the revolt -- confounded many observers, who assumed that the leader and the generals stood or fell together. The officers, it was thought, ruled from behind the scenes and simply swapped the figures in the spotlight to preserve the status quo. In a challenge to this conventional view, Hazem Kandil presents the revolution as the latest episode in an ongoing power struggle between the three components of Egyptʹs authoritarian regime: the military, the security services, and the political apparatus. A detailed study of the interactions within this invidious triangle over six decades of war, conspiracy, and sociopolitical transformation, Soldiers, Spies, and Statesmen is the first systematic analysis of how Egypt metamorphosed from a military into a police state -- and what that means for the future of its revolution. -- Book jacket. One of the most momentous events in the Arab uprisings that swept across the Middle East in 2011 was the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak. As dramatic and sudden as this seemed, it was only one further episode in an ongoing power struggle between the three components of Egypt's authoritarian regime: the military, the security services, and the government. A detailed study of the interactions within this invidious triangle over six decades of war, conspiracy, and sociopolitical transformation, Soldiers, Spies, and Statesmen is the first systematic analysis of recent Egyptian history. This paperback edition, updated to incorporate events in 2013, provides the background necessary to understanding how the military rebranded itself as the defender of democracy and ousted Mubarak's successor, Muhammad Morsi. Impeccably researched and filled with intrigue, Soldiers, Spies, and Statesmen is an indispensable guide for anyone trying to fathom what this latest development means for Egypt's future. Prelude : countdown to the July 1952 coup The dark side of militarism : the March 1954 crisis Two states within a state : the road to June 1967 Eradicating the centers of power : the corrective revolution of May 1971 Twilight of the generals : October 1973 and its discontents The long lull before the perfect storm : revolt in January 2011 On the threshold of power : the military after the revolt Epilogue : June 30 : the army strikes back. Gripping analysis of Egypt's transformation from military regime to police state, on the road to revolution.