Mohamed Fawzi (; 5 March 1915 – 16 February 2000) was an Egyptian general and politician who served as minister of war between 1968 and 1971.

Early life and education

Fawzi was born in Abbasiya, Cairo, on 5 March 1915. He attended the Egyptian Royal Military Academy and graduated in 1936. He also held a master's degree, which he received from the same institution in 1952.

Career

During the

1948 Arab–Israeli War The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, also known as the First Arab–Israeli War, followed the 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine, civil war in Mandatory Palestine as the second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war. The civil war becam ...

, Fawzi first met

Gamal Abdel Nasser Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian military officer and revolutionary who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 a ...

and served as the commander of anti-aircraft artillery in Deir Suneid. In 1957, Fawzi was appointed by President Nasser as commander of the Military Academy. In 1961, Fawzi headed the Egypt's military mission as part of the UN forces in Congo. He became military secretary-general of the

Arab League The Arab League (, ' ), officially the League of Arab States (, '), is a regional organization in the Arab world. The Arab League was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945, initially with seven members: Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt, Kingdom of Iraq, ...

in March 1964. The same month, he was also made Nasser's chief of staff, a post he occupied until the

Six-Day War The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...

in June 1967. After the war, Fawzi resigned from his office and was replaced by Abdel Moneim Reiad in the post. On 11 June 1967 Fawzi was appointed general commander, replacing

Abdel Hakim Amer Mohamed Abdel Hakim Amer (, ; 11 December 1919 – 13 September 1967), better known as Abdel Hakim Amer, was an Egyptian military officer and politician. Amer served in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and played a leading role in the military ...

in the post.Kandil, 2012, pp. 85, 87, 90. Amer and his allies protested the move and immediately afterward, 600 officers loyal to Amer besieged army headquarters demanding Amer's reinstatement and threatening to oust Fawzi. Amer was plotting to launch a coup on 27 August, and tension mounted between him and Nasser. Amer was invited to the president's home, and was apprehended there. Meanwhile, Fawzi led an army takeover of Amer's villa, where all thirteen truckloads of the plotters' weapons were seized. Fawzi was appointed minister of war on 24 February 1968, succeeding

Amin Howeidi Amin Hamid Howeidi (; 22 September 1921–31 October 2009) was an Egyptian military leader, author and minister of war under Nasser's rule. Early life and education Howeidi was born in Munufiya on 22 September 1921. He attended the Egyptian Mi ...

in the post. He also became one of the members of the Supreme Executive Committee of Egypt the same year. Fawzi continued to serve as minister of war during the presidency of

Anwar Sadat Muhammad Anwar es-Sadat (25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the third president of Egypt, from 15 October 1970 until Assassination of Anwar Sadat, his assassination by fundame ...

. However, Fawzi and six other ministers resigned from office in May 1971. These individuals who were close to Nasser were called the May Group. Mohammed Sadek replaced Fawzi as minister of war from 14 May 1971.

Arrest and sentence

Immediately after his resignation, Fawzi was arrested due to his alleged role in a coup plot. Sadat announced that Fawzi had been placed under house arrest in May 1971. Fawzi was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment. In December 1971, Sadat reduced Fawzi's sentence to 15 years of hard labor. Fawzi received a pardon in 1974, due to concerns about his health and in recognition of his military service.

Later years and death

In his later years, Fawzi published books on military affairs and gave lectures. He also published a biography. He joined

Arab Democratic Nasserist Party The Arab Democratic Nasserist Party () is a Nasserist political party in Egypt, styling itself as the ideological successor of the old Arab Socialist Union party of Egypt's second president, Gamal Abdel Nasser. At the 2000 parliamentary elect ...

, being a member of its political bureau. Fawzi died on 16 February 2000 in Heliopolis in Cairo.

References

Bibliography

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fawzi, Mohamed 20th-century Egyptian politicians 1915 births 2000 deaths War ministers of Egypt Egyptian generals Egyptian Military Academy alumni Chiefs of the General Staff (Egypt) Politicians from Cairo Egyptian politicians convicted of crimes Egyptian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment