Middle East 523
Narrative: This dispute is the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882, which culminated in
the British occupation of Egypt. Egypt was still in its infancy as a state independent
of French colonial rule and Ottoman control and detested what it deemed to be for-
eign meddling in affairs, including the operation of the Suez Canal. Meanwhile, the
British took interest in the canal. It provided a clear link to India, its prized colonial
possession. When news of Europeans being targeted and massacred in Egyptian riots
reached the governments of Paris and London, both states decided to send warships.
Only the British opted for war. The war started with bombardments of Alexandria, the
place where the Egyptians were constructing garrisons to defend themselves against
European forces. The Egyptians were no match for the British in either numbers or
expertise, and the British quickly pushed the Egyptians southeast. The Egyptian army
was eventually annihilated on September 13, and the British assumed control of Egypt
on September 15.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from July 3, 1882.
MID#617
Dispute Number: 617
Date(s): February 4, 1942
Participants: 200 United Kingdom/651 Egypt
Outcome (and Settlement): Yield by side B (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: On February 4, 1942, the British ambassador Sir Miles Lampson issued an
ultimatum that unless the Egyptian king instructed an Allied-friendly prime minister
(al-Nahhas) to form a government by 6:00 p.m. the same day, there would be conse-
quences. When this action had not taken place by 9:00 p.m. that evening, Lampson
entered the Egyptian palace with British troops, and a column of tanks and several
hundred motorized troops surrounded the building. The king was given the choice of
abdicating the throne or instructing al-Nahhas to form a government. The king chose
the latter.
MID#7
Dispute Number: 7
Date(s): October 13, 1951 to January 25, 1952
Participants: 200 United Kingdom/651 Egypt
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side A (None)
Fatalities: 26–100 deaths
Narrative: In an effort to rally patriotic support for the Wafd Party government in
Egypt and to detract from domestic issues, Premier Mustafa Nahas Pasha presented
decrees before parliament that would abolish the 1936 Anglo-Egyptian treaty and
force British troops out of the Suez Canal Zone. Parliament ratified the decrees, which
also stated that Egypt and Sudan were to be unified under the leadership of King
Faruq.