Egypt Flashcards
What did lord Palmerston say regarding British policy towards Egypt in 1860
‘We do not want to have Egypt. What we wish about Egypt is that it should be attached to the Turkish empire, which is security against it belonging to another European Power. We wish to trade with Egypt and travel through Egypt.’
Who order the occupation of Egypt
Gladstone
PM
Why was it surprising when Gladstone ordered the occupation of Eg
He was committed to a policy of ‘non-intervention’ in colonial affairs
Additionally, in 1880 there were no plans to extend the British Enpire in Africa
So why did Gladstone order the occupation of Egypt
Ottoman Empire who had captured Egypt In 1517 was in decline which worried British government as the ottomans possessions in North Africa wld fall into the hands of rival European powers who threatened British interests in the area
WHAT year did Gladstone order the occupation of Egypt
1882
WHAT turned out to be the starting point of the partition of Africa
THE ordering of the occupation of Egypt in 1882
Before the partition of Africa what was Britains involvement there like
Small scale
No colonies in the north or east
Minimal in west where some coastal areas like Gambia and sierras Leone, Lagos were established
Most in the south where cape colony and Natal were formal colonies & Britain had RIGHT to control foreign relations of the two ‘Boer ‘ republics - the orange free state and the Transvaal
WHAT did the french think at the decline of the Ottoman Empire and Egypt
They encouraged Egypt to break away from the Ottoman Empire and French investors poured money into the country after 1850
WHAT is the most dramatic example of French investment in Egypt
was a bold plan to construct the Suez Canal in 1869
WHAT year did the Suez Canal open
1869
Who was suez built by and supervised by
Built by tens of thousands of Egyptians under the supervision of French engineers
Who designed the Suez Canal
Frenchman
Ferdinand de Lesseps
Following completion of Suez Canal what did Britain do
Large influx of British investment
Brit banks offered the Egyptian government enormous loans which were used for economic development
Suez Canal impact on Alexandria
Became a major port
1,000 miles of railway tracks laid
Arms bought
Schools and roads built
WHAT happens to egypts foreign debt following construction of Suez Canal
Between 1863 and 1879 Egypts foreign debt increased from £3 million to £100 million
AND the interest rate to be paid on it in this same period rose from 7% to 20%
WHAT happened in Egypt 1875
A debt crisis which seemed likely to lead to the country’s economic collapse
WHAT did the Egyptian ruler Ismail do upon the debt crisis of 1875
Although he still owed allegiance to the sultan of Turkey, in desperation he requested the British and French governments to provide expert economic advice
Who’d the British send after Egyptian ruler requested advice following the debt crisis of 1875
Stephen cave
A British treasury official
In 1878 an Anglo-French rescue plan emerged based on
THE ideas put forward in the cave report
When did ‘dual economic control’ between Britain and France begin and end
1878-1882
WHAT did the Anglo-French plan do
Restored financial stability
BUT
brought misery 2 vast majority of Egyptians: led to starvation in upper Egypt, increased unemployment, street rioting AND A REBELLION IN THE ARMY
bad consequence of French English involvement with their dual economic control
Starvation in upper Egypt
Unemployment
Rioting
Army rebellion
Who was on the verge of taking power in Egypt in 1882
An Egyptian nationalist movement under the leadership of Arabi Pasha, a colonel in the Egyptian army
WHAT did the nationalists under Arabi Pashi want
They wanted an end to the Turkish dominance in government and the Anglo-French control of the economy
WHAT happened on the 11th June 1882 Egypt Alexandria
50 Europeans killed
WHAT happened following the murder of 50 Europeans in Alexandria during nationalist rioting 11 June 1882
British government order formal occupation of Egypt
WHAT did Britain do following ordering formal occupation
THE Royal Navy bombarded, British army invaded
BY OCTOBER 1882 the REBELLION HAD VEEN CRUShed
WERE french happy
Fuck no
British decision to rule the country was made
ON its own NO FRENCH INPUT
WHAT did the French suspect t
THE British merely used the nationalist uprising to cloak its real desire to dominate Egypt and to freeze out France