THE MARCH 1954 CRISIS AND THE RESULTS OF THE CONFRONTATION BETWEEN EGYPTIAN STUDENTS AND THE REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v23.7361Keywords:
Egyptian Student Movement, March 1954 Crisis, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Mohamed Naguib, Political RepressionAbstract
The March 1954 crisis constituted a pivotal moment in the history of the Egyptian student movement, as most of the students opposing the policies of Gamal Abdel Nasser and the military government stood by President Mohamed Naguib, who demanded the necessity of the army’s return to its barracks, granting him more powers, preventing the Free Officers from monopolizing rule, and achieving some of the reforms that the Free Officers had promised the Egyptian people after the fall of the monarchy. This crisis was embodied in the confrontations that took place between the students affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and some communist and liberal organizations on one side, and the security forces and the students belonging to the Liberation Organization formed by the revolutionary government on the other side. Most of those confrontations were violent, resulting in many injuries on both sides, and also led to the closure of universities and suspension of classes to avoid chaos. After Gamal Abdel Nasser and the Revolutionary Command Council controlled the internal situation in Egypt following the March crisis and the dismissal of Mohamed Naguib, the student movement and educational institutions, including universities, suffered from clear domination and control over freedom and decisions, with strict monitoring by the security services and the university guard, and restriction of every intellectual and political activity of teachers and students, as well as the establishment of special student regulations to achieve those goals. In addition, the state sought to distract the youth’s ideas by establishing a number of sports fields and youth centers, and organizing some events such as University Youth Week and School Youth Week. On the other hand, some students supporting Gamal Abdel Nasser and the revolutionary government continued to support every activity, orientation, and initiative of the military government to obtain some gains and privileges. Despite all the repression, surveillance, and restrictions faced by the student movement, it continued to play its national and social role in criticizing the authority’s policy and demanding more democratic principles and freedom.
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