The history of modern Egypt begins with Muhammad Ali’s rule and his modernization project that separated the state from Ottoman rule. In 1869 the Suez Canal was built and Egypt became an important transportation hub. This investment, however, caused the state to fall into debt and led to a British takeover of the government in 1882. From 1914 until its independence in 1922, the country was a British protectorate. Britain wouldn’t recognize Egyptian’s full sovereignty, refused to withdraw forces from the Suez Canal, and used the country as base for its troops. After WWI, Egyptians were faced with high unemployment and inflation. Resentment and hardship, the end of the war, and Woodrow Wilson’s self-determination push led to Egyptian Independence in 1922.
In 1936, King Farouk I came into power. He was often negatively perceived due to his corrupt governance as well as his failure during the 1948 Arab-Isreali War. After an overthrow of the King and an Egyptian revolution in 1952, Gamel Abdel Nasser established a military dictatorship known as the Republic of Egypt, officially ending Ali’s dynasty.
Geopolitics & Egypt 