From the 1919 Revolution to the 2011 Arab Spring: A History of Three Egyptian Thawras Reconsidered

Focused on three Egyptian revolutions--in 1919, 1952, and 2011--this edited book argues that each of these revolutions is a milestone which represents a meaningful turning point in modern Egyptian history.

Revolutions are typically characterized by a fundamental change in political and social infrastructures as well as in the establishment of new values and norms. However, it should be noted that this may not be entirely applicable when examining the context of the three Egyptian revolutions: the 1919 revolution failed to liberate Egypt from British colonial hegemony; the 1952 revolution failed to rework the country’s social and economic systems and unify the Arab world; and the ＂Arab Spring＂ revolution of 2011 culminated in a chaotic economic and social catastrophe, thus failing to solve the young generation’s crisis. Nevertheless, by revisiting and re-defining these revolutions through diverse theoretical frameworks, the book proposes that each of them played a significant role in shaping Egypt’s political, social, and cultural identity.

This book is specifically of interest for students, historians, and social scientists with a keen interest in Egyptian history and the Middle East, offering fresh perspectives and insights into these transformative moments in Egypt’s history.

Uzi Rabi is the Director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, Head of the Department of Middle Eastern and African History, and a senior researcher at the Center for Iranian Studies, all at Tel Aviv University. His research focuses on the modern history and evolution of states and societies in the Middle East, Iranian-Arab relations, oil and politics in the Middle East, and Sunni-Shi’i dynamics.

Mira Tzoreff is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Middle East and African History and a Senior Researcher at the Moshe Dayan Center - both at Tel Aviv University. Her areas of research are the socio-cultural history of modern Egypt, women and gender in Arab and Islamic societies and youth in the Middle East and North Africa.