In 1952 General Mohammed
Neguib and Colonel Gamal
Abdel Nasser
forced Farouk
I to abdicate. After the revolution Neguib became commander-in-chief,
prime minister and president of the republic whereas Nasser held the
post of Minister of the Interior.
In April 1954 Nasser replaced
Neguib as prime minister. Seven months later he also became president
of Egypt. Over the next few months Nasser
made it clear he was in favour of liberating Palestine
from the Jews. He also began buying fighter aircraft, bombers and
tanks from the Soviet
Union and Czechoslovakia.
Gamal
Abdel Nasser
redistributed land in Egypt
and began plans to industrialize the country. He also began the building
of the Aswan Dam. Nasser was convinced that this would extend arable
lands in Egypt and would help the industrialization process. He also
advocated Arab independence and reminded the British government that
the agreement allowing to keep soldiers at Suez
expired in 1956.
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