Egyptian Revolution of 1919

In 1919 nationwide revolt against British protectorate rule forced London to declare Egypt independent in 1922, though with heavy reservations.

Overview

The exile of nationalist leaders Saad Zaghloul and companions after their attempt to petition the Paris Peace Conference ignited strikes, sabotage, and peasant resistance across Egypt in March 1919. Railways were torn up, and British soldiers faced crowds for weeks; hundreds of Egyptians were killed. The revolt united Muslims and Copts, shown by crosses and crescents carried together, and mobilized women in public politics for the first time. Britain declared a unilateral end to the protectorate in 1922 while keeping control of the Suez Canal, defense, and the Sudan. The 1923 constitution and parliament followed, and the revolution created the Wafd party politics that dominated Egypt until 1952.